The Rockliff Liberal Government will continue to grow capacity in the Tasmanian transport sector, delivering major infrastructure such as the two new Spirit vessels.
TT Line has had a remarkable recovery from COVID, returning to profit in 2022-23 with a big increase in passenger numbers and sailings.
The company made a profit of $8.6 million for the year following on from a loss of $14 million in the prior period.
Total revenue increased to $307.1 million – up from $240.8 million in 2021-22. Key to this revenue lift was the more than 50 per cent increase in passengers from 284,000 in the prior year to over 450,000 in 2022-23.
Caravans and campervans are an important part of Tasmanian life, not just for visiting tourists with a caravan or motorhome, but also for locals that own caravans and motorhomes and need to transport them to the mainland or return home.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson, said day sailings have proven to be highly popular for caravans and motorhomes, and in 2022-23 the company had 199 day sailings compared to the 145 day sailings the previous year.
“This was an absolute record number of day sailings for the company, eclipsing the previous record of 169,” Mr Ferguson.
“In 2022-23, TT-Line carried a total of 17,413 caravans and 11,903 motorhomes and campervans.
“This is an increase of almost 50 per cent respectively from 2021‑22 and is above pre-COVID levels where we saw demand of around 15,000 caravans and 11,000 motorhomes each year.”
Mr Ferguson added that the Spirit of Tasmania website has an ‘Availability Calendar’ so passengers can research in advance selected sailing dates for travel on board Spirit of Tasmania.
“This function assists passengers in planning their trip ahead of time so they know which months are particularly busy, and it is particularly useful for owners of caravans and motorhomes,” Mr Ferguson said.
“It is also worth noting that members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club of Australia, with which TT-Line has a fantastic relationship, currently receive discounted fares, helping to improve the affordability of transport on the Spirit of Tasmania.
“Since 2016, Saturday morning sailings have also been added to the sailing schedule from September through to after Easter to facilitate the movement of over height vehicles such as caravans, motorhomes and campervans.
“In addition, capacity will increase with the arrival of two new ships – Spirit of Tasmania IV and V. There will be 40 per cent more capacity and all lanes will be higher than 2.1 metres so there will be no limit on which lanes can be used by caravans.
“Ensuring that TT-Line is accessible and affordable for caravan and motorhomes helps to increase regional tourism and reduce the cost of living for Tasmanian caravan and motorhome owners.”
