Today's front page Mercury story asks the above question - what's wrong with Tassie? They talk about a questionnaire which was posed to visitors asking questions about their thoughts on Tassie. I would love to have seen the actual questions posed, and the way they were asked, as there is a huge difference in the way you ask a question as to what answer you elicit. For instance if you asked me a question like, "Do you like the food at the Taste of Tasmania?" I'd give you my rant of 10 minutes about my bad experience there last year. If you asked me "Do you like Tasmanian food?" I'd rave on for hours about how good it can be.
The thing that stood out for me in the article was their reporting of people's responses to the food and service. "While Tasmania was renowned for quality food production, eating experiences were mixed with some being extremely critical. The hotels were disappointing and most felt the restaurants are very expensive. The food styles were considered old fashioned", with one comment of 'the food was pretty hit and miss there' being added to make the point. "Experience with food and wine was not mentioned as a reason to visit".
Certain things stood out for me while reading this article:
1. the fact that the details for the article were released by the State Government after a Freedom of Information request
2. it was interesting to read what the people questioned had reported back
3. as a generalisation, it was all true
4. it was exceedingly disappointing to read that the results of those in the food industry with huge credibility gets lost in the general overall impression tourists and visitors leave the state with
OK - I can give you many pages of what I think actually IS wrong with Tassie, but I'm not going to. I can give you many pages of what ISN'T wrong with Tassie, but I won't either.
What I can do, though, is to say that we obviously need to work together way more than we currently do. We need to be way more progressive than we are. We've attracted many new inhabitants to our island over the years - for what? Why not harvest their passion, their expertise, their knowledge, their experiences? They love it here. They see what we do about the beauties of the place. They made a specific choice to come here - we didn't. To us, it's just 'where we live'. We love it, but we take it for granted.
We could make it a fabulous holiday destination. If we wanted to. If we felt we needed the support of the tourism dollars enough. If we thought those tourism dollars provided the infrastructure to make OUR lives better.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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14 comments:
God if they think food down here is expensive I don't know where they are from.
Try London, Paris, Tokyo. What CAN be expensive down here is casual accommodation. Motel rooms etc, compared with the mainland.
But even that is cheap when compared with the UK or Europe.
They come off these fucking great wanker boats and expect the local peasants to bow down for them and give them everything for free.
They do a few vehicle tours, buy a few trinkets then piss off. Most of them go back on board to eat cause they've already paid for it.
What are we? Disney extras?
I remember years ago the Rosny Choir even used to serenade them on arrival.
I can just imagine a few yanks saying:
``Gee, honey, look the natives are paying homage to us. Toss them a nickel...oooh, ain't that so sweet. Should we throw it in the water for them to dive in after...what's the local custom with these Tanzanians?''
They are a worthless pain in the arse...mostly.
Oh big chief grumpy - what am I going to do with you?
We need to look at a bigger picture than the boat people you appear to be speaking about.
And wasn't it just a few weeks ago when someone like Phil Capon commented on the news about the squillions of dollars they all made in the restaurants down Salamanca way after the 3 boats were in together?
Big chief grumpy
"They are a worthless pain in the arse...mostly"
Yes well today I overheard some customers whom I was serving , saying that the potatoes they had would have come from the good old US. Also that I gave them a green lemon in the diet coke. I dont think they had heard of a lime hehe.
Another tables way of saying excuse me was by saying STOP, very rudley even tho they could see I was talking to other customers. Just because they thought they were more important and they wanted the bill. Maybe I should have told them that excuse me is the polite english word to use.
Oh also when clearing a table that I could take their 8 year old daughter too. I am not a babysitter.
Hehe RANT over. Thats the cruise ship lot for you. But they do spend alot of money in Hobart so it is well worth just trying your hardest to keep them happy. After all if you work in the tourism industry it is the customer who keeps you in a job. Just smile and nod :)
so I was wrong again eh? Ouch.
Sigh...if the Mercury story and the reaction to is any indication, then the biggest problem Tasmania has got is Tasmanians.
As the song says "You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative..."
Away with your American New Age positive nonsense, Anon.
We're quite happy without all that happiness crap, thankyou.
Think on the possitive.
Last time I was on a cruise ship, they fed you like 24 hours a day. Wall to wall restaurants, bars and entertainment, not to mention that all important shopping at Harrods on board.
My question is this; How shit is the food on board ship, when the first thing you do when you hit shore is hit the local eateries?
I think it says a lot more about the cruise operators than it does about Tassie.
Personally, when I did Cunard, both work and pleasure, food was the last thing I went for when I hit shore......
Cartouche
I am getting to the stage where I couldn't care less what people thought about Tassie.
I love it here.
In the scheme of things, is it such a tragedy if someone doesn't get their latte exactly like the one in Darlinghurst or Sth Yarra?
Big deal.
This ever present Tasmanian cringe that arises in the paper regularly seems designed to get us all agitated.
My advice is not to get get sucked into it.
If we try & be a mini Mel or Syd we'll only suffer the comparison more so might as well ingnore that & be OK with who & what we are & to hell with them if they dont like it. Like Sir G's comment, we aren't Disney extras waiting cap in hand for the boat to dock.
I totally agree with Gobbler that we shouldn't get too excited by some of the increasingly sensationalist rubbish published in our local rag. We all know that we have a magic part if the world to live in. By international standards,we may not always be up to scratch as a place to visit. We should continue to take a calm, rational approach towards always improving our tourist profile. It is an essential part of our economic future.
We do often suffer from the 'island' problem of being too defensive about criticism. Also, the ongoing parochialism of the north west hating the north and north hating the south and vice versa, does us more damage than anything external.
Yes, we is what we is and we like it.
Let's celebrate what's different about us...and that is a GOOD thing.
I heard a tourist complaining about Tassie's weather.
Look mate, it's your weather too if you are here!
I don't want to be London/New York/Sydney.
I like it here and we have nothing to be beaten-down about.
Vive La Tassie.
Some defensiveness in comments so far?!I like anon2's"calm rational approach...improving our tourist profile".I'm a tourguide for cruiseship passengers who choose a tour to DerwentValley.Maybe 5% meet sir grumpy's decription,but most are curious,interested,admiring.I expound on Tassie's quality produce and then we eat it atlunch-cheese, salmon, salad,quiche,homemade dessert,fresh fruit,cream,icecream. They love the beer.Educate, I say!
You would say that....vested interest?
If by suggesting "vested interest", you wonder if I have an interest in any of the businesses we patronise during the day's tour, then the answer is NO! I am paid a standard rate by my employer (local company). I am proud of Tassie and enjoy showing it off.I am also a local resident and consumer and know good produce when I see it.
No, didn't mean that at all,,,interesting response but.
I meany you MIGHT have a vested interest in saying how good those Big Boat visitors are.
Our Government is always gilding the lilly.
Nothing wrong with people getting a benefit from tourists. I just think the value of the liner visitors is often overstated.
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