Tourism Research Australia report includes ‘misleading’ data on Tasmania

Representatives of Tasmania's tourism industry have expressed concerns over newly released Tourism Research Australia data that reports a decline in the number of interstate visitors to Tasmania.

Published in recent days, the Tourism Research Australia's 2014 State of the Industry report claimed that the number of interstate visitors to Tasmania fell by more than 5% in the year to June.

The report also said domestic overnight trips fell in Tasmania (down 5.4% to 2.1 million visitors) as a result of a sharp fall in interstate visitors, down 15.3% to 888,000 visitors.

However, the Tasmanian Government’s tourism agency Tourism Tasmania claims its research for the same period shows the number of interstate visitors went up.

Tourism Tasmania said the total number of interstate visitors to Tasmania for the year ending June 2014 was 909,900, up 8% from 839,300 the previous year.

Highlighting the discrepancy, Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania Chief Executive Luke Martin said the national survey was inaccurate, and had the potential to damage investor confidence.

Martin told the ABC "we want people to be taking a serious look at the potential for Tasmania as an investment opportunity.

"The Government's got its expression of interest out for natural tourism developments and when people pick up and show this kind of absolutely skewed and misleading data on visitor numbers at a national level it sends the wrong message and creates confusion."

Martin claimed that Tasmania's tourist industry was booming, adding “the image out in the Australian tourism industry is that Tasmania's the leading star … that is the reality.

"We have, according to our data, 10% growth, and some of the most exciting tourism products in the country."

Martin called on Tourism Research Australia to use Tasmanian data in its reporting, not the results of the National Visitor Survey.

He said data collection methods for Australia's only national tourism survey were inaccurate.

Martin went on to tell the ABC “the reality is the Tasmanian data is a far better sample and a far more accurate snapshot of how the industry's performing.

"Unfortunately, the method they're using for national figures is giving a misleading picture of how the industry is performing.

"Particularly to investors and to people looking at investing in Tasmania.

"The National Visitor Survey is analysing very small samples of data in Sydney and you get massive variations."

"Whereas the Tasmanian visitor survey data measures people as they leave the state, so it's a far more accurate snap-shop of actual performance."

A footnote published next to the 2014 State of the Industry domestic visitor numbers states "the National Visitor Survey results are based on a new dual frame interviewing methodology, causing a break in series. Consequently, readers should use the domestic tourism comparisons with caution".

Click here to view the report.

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