Peter Gutwein,Premier
Regular passenger flights between Hobart and two Bass Strait Islands will be extended following the success of the Sharp Airline services that were introduced in September 2020.
The Tasmanian Government committed $1 million to underwrite these flights to support these Island communities.
The services have been a roaring success, and have given more Tasmanians the ability to explore these unique parts of our special Island State.
Both the airline and Government embarked on this journey with the goal of establishing, and then growing the services to the point where they would be sustainable.
There is little doubt that both island communities, their economies, and Tasmanians generally have benefited greatly from this initiative which has connected us like never before.
The current arrangement is in place until the end of March 2022, with an agreement between the Government and Sharp Airline now in place to extend the services until the end of 2022.
We acknowledge that King Island has faced some challenges recently, and in recognition of this need for further support we are finalising a package to kickstart visitation on King Island.
Later this week we will be announcing the details of a new incentive program that will focus on driving more visitors and increasing spending on the island, providing further support to the King Island economy.
This new program will be available to Tasmanian and interstate travellers, with this support to ensure more visitors are engaging in the incredible experiences and hospitality the island has to offer.
Further, Tourism Tasmania is working with King Island Tourism and the local Council to deliver a new targeted marketing campaign of up to $100,000 value, focusing on both the Tasmanian and interstate markets to encourage travel to the Island.
We have always said that we will do more to provide support for our economy where that is needed.
These announcements are yet another example this commitment as King Island continues to recover from the COVID outbreak earlier this year.
