TASMANIA SAYS IT'S 'NOT REALLY FOR TOURISTS' IN CHEEKY NEW CAMPAIGN WITH LEE LIN CHIN
Tasmania has a surprising message for holidaymakers this summer: it is not really for tourists.
The island state's tourism body launched a tongue-in-cheek new campaign on November 12, poking gentle fun at the habits many of us fall into when we travel.
Before you cancel that Hobart booking, there is good news.
Everyone is still welcome, as long as you are happy to slow down, skip the queues and travel a little differently.
Why Tasmania is calling out tourists
The campaign, called Not Really For Tourists, is the latest chapter in Tourism Tasmania's Come Down For Air brand, according to Travel Weekly.
Its hero film, The Line Up, follows a tourist who joins a queue for a viral pastry.
The line stretches all the way across the ocean, and he ends up in Tasmania, where he steps out of the queue and finds something far more rewarding.
Much loved former newsreader Lee Lin Chin is the face of the campaign, starring in a series of short videos as she explores the island.
Tourism Tasmania chief marketing officer Lindene Cleary told Pulse Tasmania the slogan "isn't meant to be taken literally".
Instead, the aim is to get Australians thinking about what travel really means to them.
What the research says about how we travel
The campaign is backed by nationally representative research from Decibel Research, and some of the findings will sound very familiar.
Three in four Australians (75%) would rather be called a traveller than a tourist, and 57% actively avoid looking like one.
A huge 86% believe a tourist mindset can take the joy out of a holiday.
Perhaps most telling, 70% find modern travel more exhausting than relaxing.
We also love the idea of spontaneity, with 73% saying their favourite experiences come from spontaneous moments.
Yet the average Australian spends 15 hours researching before booking a trip, and about one in six spends more than 40 hours.
The research named five so-called tourist conditions, led by FOMO fatigue (37%) and planning paralysis (23%), followed by queue-itis, chronic review reliance and performative travel itch.
Tasmania's new De-Tourist Trails
To help travellers kick those habits, Tourism Tasmania has created five De-Tourist Trails, which it describes as a world first.
Four trails cover different regions and one spans the whole island, together featuring more than 200 places to visit, things to do and places to stay.
Rather than strict itineraries, they are loose, meandering routes designed to encourage you to wander, linger and follow your curiosity.
You can explore them now on the Discover Tasmania website.
There is also a competition to win one of four Tasmanian holidays for two, with each winner matched to one of the regional trails, as reported by Campaign Brief.
How to travel like a local in Tasmania
Leave a few gaps in your itinerary so there is room for a long lunch, a detour to a farm gate stall or an extra hour on a quiet beach.
Ask locals for recommendations, from bakeries and cellar doors to bushwalks that do not appear on every top ten list.
Visit popular spots early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.
Pack layers, as Tasmanian weather can change quickly, even in summer.
Put the phone away now and then, and resist the urge to photograph every moment.
Book flights and accommodation early if you plan to travel over the busy Christmas and January school holiday period.
A reminder to slow down
After a busy year, the idea of a holiday without queues, endless reviews and packed itineraries sounds rather lovely.
Whether you are dreaming of misty mountains, fresh seafood or quiet coastal walks, Tasmania is inviting you to stop performing your holiday and start enjoying it.
And if that makes you not really a tourist, all the better.
