‘Tasmania Is Not Really for Tourists’: Australian Campaign Unveils 5 Trails Featuring Over 200 Experiences

Tourism Tasmania targets travellers seeking slower, crowd-free holidays, as research reveals that 75% of Australians prefer to describe themselves as “travellers” rather than “tourists”.

Tourism Tasmania launched an unconventional promotional campaign on Thursday, November 12, 2026, under the slogan “Not Really For Tourists”, targeting travellers seeking authentic, peaceful experiences away from crowded attractions and tightly packed holiday itineraries.

The campaign forms part of the state’s Come Down For Air tourism marketing platform, introduced in 2019, and primarily targets Australia’s domestic travel market until March 31, 2027, through television, digital, cinema and social media advertising.

Beyond its advertising message, Tourism Tasmania has introduced five flexible travel itineraries known as De-Tourist Trails, featuring more than 200 attractions, experiences and accommodation options across the island.

The initiative includes four regional trails and a fifth route extending across Tasmania, encouraging visitors to explore lesser-known destinations and engage with local communities beyond established tourism hotspots.

The trails allow travellers to select experiences based on their individual interests rather than follow fixed sightseeing schedules.

The campaign uses humour to challenge familiar modern travel habits, including waiting in long queues for products made famous on social media and attempting to visit as many attractions as possible within a limited time.

Its main promotional film features a man joining an enormous queue for a world-famous pastry, only to discover that the line stretches across the ocean to Tasmania, where he eventually abandons it in search of a different travel experience.

Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Kingston Clark explained that the campaign is not intended to discourage tourists, but rather to encourage visitors to slow down and develop a deeper connection with the destinations they explore.

The campaign draws on research conducted by Decibel Research, which found that 75% of Australians prefer describing themselves as “travellers” rather than “tourists”.

The study also revealed that 82% would rather enjoy fewer, more meaningful experiences than fill their itineraries with numerous activities.

Meanwhile, 86% believe that certain traditional tourist behaviours can negatively affect their holiday experience.

The campaign’s significance lies in connecting an unconventional marketing message with a practical tourism offering through five trails designed to encourage visitors to explore beyond the island’s best-known attractions.

This approach provides a potential model for nature-based and rural destinations seeking to distribute visitor flows across wider geographical areas while increasing opportunities for local businesses and communities.

According to the Tasmanian Government, visitors spend approximately AUD 3.6 billion annually in the state, highlighting the tourism sector’s economic importance.

However, the campaign’s actual success will need to be assessed through measurable changes in bookings, visitor movements and spending across the regions covered by the new trails, rather than relying solely on advertising reach and engagement figures.