Fears four-wheel-drive access row could deter tourists

Tasmania's Tourism Industry Council is concerned that a row between green groups and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts is now being played out in front of tourists getting off the Spirit of Tasmania.
Off-road enthusiasts recently held signs saying 'Tourists Not Welcome' as cars came off the Spirit while conservation group the Tarkine National Coalition responded with signs welcoming visitors.
The groups are at odds over moves by the Tasmanian Government to close 15 driving tracks in the Arthur Pieman Conservation Area on the state's west coast.
The Tasmanian Government decided earlier this year to close the tracks to protect Aboriginal sites and fragile coastal environments but opted to keep 50 open.
The Tarkine National Coalition supported the closures but in May about 4,000 four-wheel-drivers attended a rally in Smithton, in the state's north-west, to protest against them.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania (TICT) Chief Executive Luke Martin said there was some community sympathy for the four-wheel drivers but added "targeting the tourism industry and trying to use it as a political football is not endearing themselves to anyone."
TICT says tourists don't understand the history of the argument and the campaigns should stop.
Tasmanian Tourism minister Scott Bacon was equally critical, stating "it's very, very unfortunate, what they've done."

http://www.tict.com.au