Wine and tourism blend to grow visitor economy

Visitors who call into a Tasmanian cellar door spend close to $4,000 each per visit, almost 50 per cent more than the average visitor.

Today the State’s wine and tourism industries meet in Launceston to collectively discuss how they continue to cement Tasmania as the best wine destination in Australia.

The eighth annual BLEND Wine + Tourism event comes as new Tourism Visitor Statistics for the 12 months to December 2025 show 21 per cent of interstate and international visitors called into a cellardoor during their stay and accounted for one in four visitor nights.

“Wine-motivated travellers stay longer, spend more and travel further into our regions to visit cellar doors,” Wine Tasmania, CEO, Sheralee Davies said.

“While our wine tourism numbers are positive, cellar door visitation hasn’t grown at the same rate as overall visitation to Tasmania, and that’s an opportunity for our two industries to chase together. Wine and tourism working together means we attract more of these high-spending visitors in more parts of Tasmania."

The CEO of the TICT, Amy Hills, said that as it was becoming more competitive than ever to fight for visitors' attention, it was very important to lean on the Tasmania’s competitive strengths of which wine and our cellar doors are one.

“We are seeing unique and authentic cellar doors spring up right across the state, importantly in our regional areas and they are important drawcards for our visitors to get out beyond our cities.

“It’s time to supercharge and elevate how we market and develop these experiences and the TICT and Wine Tasmania are working side by side, with Tourism Tasmania as a key partner, to do exactly this.”

Today’s event at Stelo at Pierre’s in Launceston brings wine and tourism businesses together for a workshop led by Wine Tasmania Tourism and Events Manager Cat Carey, followed by a networking lunch and a presentation from Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Kingston Clark on the latest visitation trends.

“Our wines are a postcard to the world, inviting people to come and experience this island for themselves,” Ms Davies said.

“The shared goal is for Tasmania to become the best wine travel destination on the planet and today is another step towards it.”