Press Release
Thursday 14 June 2007
FUNDING BOOST FOR WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL
The biennial Australian Wooden Boat Festival is to receive additional Government funding of $50,000 a year, bringing total Government support for each event to $300,000.
Announcing the increased funding today, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt, said the decision recognised local enthusiasm for the festival and its role in attracting visitors to the state.
“The Australian Wooden Boat Festival celebrates our maritime heritage and the passion and skill of boat owners and builders,” said Ms Wriedt.
Since its inception in 1994, The Australian Wooden Boat Festival has established itself as one of the nation’s pre-eminent wooden boat festivals.
The four-day event staged in February this year attracted more than 500 wooden boats and 30,000 attendees.
Ms Wriedt said the festival creates a distinctly Tasmanian event by combining boat-building, entertainment, food and music in an historic working port just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of one of Australia’s most beautiful capital cities.
“The role of events in attracting visitors to Tasmania is increasingly important, particularly when those events align so beautifully with Tasmania’s island brand.
“Based on the 2006 Tasmanian Visitor Survey results we can predict that in 2007 an impressive 31,000 visitors will travel to our island to participate in events. They will stay an average of seven nights and spend $200 per day, injecting in excess of $40 million into the State economy.”
Ms Wriedt congratulated the Chair of the Festival, Steve Knight and the immediate past Festival Director, Andy Gamlin on the success of the 2007 event.
“The Australian Wooden Boat Festival has grown in reputation and size to become an important and much-loved addition to the array of summer activities that make Tasmania such an irresistable holiday destination.”
For further information contact Tourism Tasmania's
Communications Unit
(03) 6230 8244
email mediainfo@tourism.tas.gov.au
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