You're Invited - ECTT 'Guest Love' Industry Recognition Award
Positive Impact Plan - Community Conversations
ECTT Industry Facebook groups
ECTT 2025 Awards Coaching Program
Tasmanian Tourism Showcase
Spirit Preparedness Fund & online information session
New Tassie Tour Guide Award
Emergency Accommodation Register
Discover Pyengana Region
What's On - Events
Business Grants available
Happy Easter from the ECTT Team 🐰
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter and a bumper holiday period! Remember, if you choose to close over the holidays update your business hours on your socials, Google listing and via your ATDW profile.
Photo Credit Al Bett Photogrpahy
BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park
Shines on the National Stage
BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park have once again raised the bar for excellence in our region. After taking home Gold at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards in November 2024 in the Caravan & Holiday Park category for the third consecutive year, BIG4 St Helens has officially earned a coveted place in the Tasmanian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame.
Their success at state level paved the way for national recognition, with the team recently awarded Bronze at the Australian Tourism Awards in March—a huge accolade not just for the park, but for the entire East Coast and Tasmania.
Owned and operated by the Robinson family, this Tasmanian business continues to set the standard for what an exceptional visitor experience looks like. From their warm welcome and thoughtful touches—like their delicious pancake breakfasts raising money for charity—to their stunning location just moments from the world-renowned Bay of Fires, BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park offers guests an experience that keeps them coming back.
Congratulations to the Robinson family and their incredible team for this well-deserved recognition!
Presentation of ECTT’s Industry Recognition Award for Guest Love, acknowledging a business that goes above and beyond in creating exceptional visitor experiences.
Learn about our Discover Coles Bay Winter Famil program, taking place this August.
We will also hear from Episteme who are leading the work on our Positive Impact Plan and learn how you can have your say to shape the future of tourism for the East Coast.
This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow tourism operators, hear important industry updates and learn how you can get involved in upcoming opportunities for tourism in our region.
Free to attend
Light refreshments and tasty treats will be provided.
Positive Impact Plan - Help shape the future of tourism for the East Coast
We are excited to progress to a crucial stage for the development of our Positive Impact Plan (PIP).
Together with episteme Consulting, this April and May we are holding a series of community conversations to learn what tourism means for those who live, work or have a connection to Tasmania's East Coast.
The PIP is about creating a shared vision for the future of tourism on the East Coast of Tasmania — one that reflects the values, aspirations, and needs of our communities.
As part of our ongoing commitment to support and strengthen the East Coast tourism industry, we invite all operators to join our dedicated Facebook groups, designed specifically to keep you informed, engaged, and connected with what’s happening across the region.
This private group is for operators and stakeholders in the East Coast tourism industry. Managed by ECTT, it’s a place for businesses to:
Stay up to date with ECTT news, events, and opportunities
Ask questions and share knowledge with other local operators
Access industry updates, resources and support
Be the first to hear about marketing campaigns, famils, and upcoming initiatives
This is not a consumer-facing or advertising space, but a collaborative and supportive environment where your input, questions, and ideas are always welcome. We believe our region is stronger when we work together—and this group is one way we can keep that connection going year-round.
This group is open to the broader community and is a fantastic place for locals, businesses, and visitors to:
Share events, local stories, and business updates
Promote regional happenings to locals and visitors alike
Ask questions and receive advice from fellow East Coasters
Celebrate what makes our region shine, all year round
We encourage all businesses to not only follow but actively post updates and good news stories. It’s a simple and effective way to stay visible and engaged with both the local community and those travelling through the region.
Expressions of Interest for
ECTT Tourism Awards Coaching Program Now Open
Following two successful years in a row, East Coast Tasmania Tourism invites expressions of interest for our 2025 tourism awards coaching program - will you be one of our region’s award finalists this year?
Once again, tourism operators from Tasmania’s east coast are invited to access more than $1000 worth of complimentary coaching from our tourism awards mentor, Michaela Lamprey, by submitting an expression of interest here.
With considerable success achieved through the program over the past two years, the benefits of entering the Tasmanian Tourism Awards are many!
Emily Elmer praises the value of the coaching program. "Winning at state level was a wonderful achievement, but to take home the national award was an absolute honour. Not only as an affirmation of all the hard work that has gone into Younique Stays, but an additional verification of the service we provide to use in marketing and promotion and business development materials. I highly recommend this mentoring program for all operators on Tasmania's east coast as a supportive way to enter the Tasmanian Tourism Awards."
Each successful applicant will be guided through the process of entering the awards and writing a submission, with lots of support along the way.
Planning continues for the 2025 Tasmanian Tourism Showcase, taking place Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July at Princes Wharf 1 in Hobart.
We’ve already shared this fantastic opportunity with you—and we’re thrilled to see strong interest from the region, with eight East Coast operators already signed up to take part!
The Showcase is one of the biggest tourism events on the calendar, attracting more than 300 industry stakeholders and over 3,000 consumers in 2024. This year’s event promises even more buzz, visibility, and networking potential.
We’re excited to support our East Coast operators at this event again and encourage you to be part of it!
$5 Million Spirit Preparedness Fund
A grant program to support Tasmanian businesses and local councils prepare for the new Spirit of Tasmania ships has been launched.
Under the Fund, businesses can apply for grants of between $50,000 and $250,000 to create authentic Tasmanian experiences which respond to core and emerging visitor demand and directly contribute to the visitor economy.
Spirit Preparedness Fund Online Information Session
The session for the Spirit Preparedness Fund for Business will be held online on Thursday, 1 May 2025 and will provide an overview of the program and application process. Kelly Brown, Manager of the Business Tasmania Service, will also discuss business support services and grant writing resources available through the Tasmanian Government.
Click here for more information and to register for the Spirit Preparedness Fund for Businesses session.
A separate session for local councils will be held online on Tuesday, 29 April 2025. This information session will cover the program specifics, grant application requirements and insights into the growing caravan and motorhome visitor market.
Click here for more information and to register for the Spirit Preparedness Fund for Local Councils.
Attendees for both sessions are encouraged to review program guidelines and the frequently asked questions document prior to the events on the funding and support page.
Once nominated, guides must then provide a written submission. Nominations close on 23 April and submissions on 21 May, with the winner announced at the Tasmanian Tourism Conference on 1 July. They will then represent Tasmania in Australia’s Top Tour Guide Awards in Canberra on 10 September.
Contact TICT at tourismawards@tict.com.au to access a recording of a recent information session on the award, or visit the TICT website for more details.
Emergency Accommodation Register
The Department of State Growth is currently seeking registrations from accommodation providers to make their accommodation available for between one and three nights to displaced people in their region following a natural disaster.
Registrations will be open from 2.00 pm on Tuesday 8 April and will close at 2.00 pm on Tuesday 13 May 2025.
Discover Pyengana Region – Stay Informed and Explore Safely
The Pyengana region offers a range of worthwhile experiences, from natural attractions like Halls Falls to the local delights at Pyengana Dairy and the down-to-earth charm of the Pub in the Paddock. While there is much to see and do, it's important to note that access to St Columba Falls is currently closed as the area undergoes assessment and repair.
For visitors planning their trip, safety and up-to-date information are essential. The Parks and Wildlife Service website provides the latest details on track conditions and park alerts. Checking Know Before You Go ensures you’re informed about the status of St Columba Falls and can plan your visit accordingly.
This approach not only helps maintain safety but also allows you to fully appreciate the many other highlights of the region, making your experience both enjoyable and secure.
There are a number of industry grants and funding opportunities now available to help support your business visit the website
The Tasmanian tourism industry acknowledges the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their enduring custodianship of lutruwita / Tasmania. We honour 40,000 years of uninterrupted care, protection and belonging to these islands, before the invasion and colonisation of European settlement. As a tourism industry that welcomes visitors to these lands, we acknowledge our responsibility to represent to our visitors Tasmania’s deep and complex history, fully, respectfully and truthfully. We acknowledge the Aboriginal people who continue to care for this country today. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present. We honour their stories, songs, art, and culture, and their aspirations for the future of their people and these lands. We respectfully ask that tourism be a part of that future.
East Coast Tasmania Tourism Inc, PO Box 115, Bicheno, Tasmania 7215, Australia
