Tasmania Continues Occupancy Boost – Hotel Magazine
AUSTRALIA | Tasmania has been highlighted as the next up-and-coming holiday hotspot down under following promising February figures.
Fresh from the North West Coast coming off a record-breaking February occupancy, Tasmania has made history in March, registering its highest ever statewide occupancy for the month.
The Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s ‘Hotel Occupancy Report’ for March shows 89.11 percent of rooms were filled, marking the first time any month outside February has ever broken the 89 percent threshold.
This also represents an increase of 2.38 percent from the corresponding month last year.
The milestone caps off a booming period for the hospitality sector, with impressive performance across all areas. In particular, the north clocked in at a record 91.87 percent occupancy, the highest March on record for the region, while southern Tasmania’s figure of 90.94 percent was its strongest result since 2019.
It comes after the NW cracked the 90 percent occupancy barrier for a single month (90.25 percent) in February.
THA chief executive Steve Old said the results were a resounding vote of confidence in the state’s visitor appeal and the strength of our hospitality operators.
“These record-breaking occupancy rates show Tasmania continues to be a must-visit destination, even outside our traditional peak months,” Old said.
“To see both our two major regions of the state pushing past 90 percent is not just encouraging, it’s historic. Our industry has worked incredibly hard to deliver exceptional experiences, and the results speak for themselves.”
Old added that this proved that strategic investment in regional events, destination marketing, and infrastructure is paying off. Additionally, Hobart led the nation’s capitals for March occupancy, reinforcing Tasmania’s capital as a key tourism drawcard.
Major events such as the Australian Rowing Championships, the Devonport Triathlon, a big turnout for Hawthorn’s first AFL match for the year in Launceston (14,021), the East Coast’s ECHO Festival and Ten Days on the Island have all aided to the robust figures.
All regions had increases on occupancy from 12 months ago, with the south figure up 1.8 percent, the north 1.74 percent, the East Coast (80.40 percent) up 2.11 percent and the NW figure of 85.28 percent a strong improvement of 5.15 percent from March 2024.
Alongside the surge in occupancy, the latest data also show increases in key financial performance indicators, with the average statewide room rate (AUD 240.43) up nearly AUD 5 from March 2024 and the average yield (AUD 214.24) an increase of just under AUD 10.
“These stronger room rates and yields show that not only are we filling more rooms, but our venues are delivering better value and economic return for the state,” Old said.
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