Home »
A trip around Southern Tasmania can be more than the places you see, the meals you eat and the kilometres you travel.
Across the region, local businesses, conservation groups, community organisations and tourism operators are finding practical ways to care for wildlife and wild places, support local communities, share culture, reduce their impact and put something back into the places they call home.
And as a visitor, you can be part of it.
What is Positive Impact Tourism?
Positive Impact Tourism is about travelling in a way that contributes something to the places and communities you visit.
Sometimes that contribution is obvious. You might join a conservation project, volunteer for a morning, take part in citizen science or choose an experience where part of your ticket supports wildlife protection.
Other times it happens quietly through the choices you make. Staying with a business powered by renewable energy, eating somewhere that buys from local growers, learning from Tasmanian Aboriginal people, supporting local artists or choosing an operator actively restoring the environment can all make a difference.
The idea is simple: enjoy Tasmania while helping the people, places and communities that make it what it is.
There are plenty of ways to make an impact
Help protect wildlife and wild places
Southern Tasmania is home to remarkable landscapes and species found nowhere else.
Choose experiences supporting habitat restoration, wildlife rescue, threatened species research and conservation. In some cases you can get directly involved through volunteering, citizen science or conservation programs.
Support local communities
Where you spend your money matters.
Choose locally owned businesses, producers, guides, accommodation, artists and experiences that support jobs and keep more of the benefits of tourism within Tasmanian communities.
Some organisations go further, contributing directly to community programs, education, fundraising and social initiatives.
Connect with culture
Travel can help keep stories, knowledge and traditions strong.
Seek out experiences that share Tasmania’s culture and history respectfully, support local artists and makers, encourage creative participation and provide opportunities to learn from the people who know these stories firsthand.
Join in
Sometimes the best way to understand a place is to lend a hand.
Volunteer with a conservation organisation, participate in citizen science, attend a community workshop, contribute observations from the wild or support a local fundraising initiative.
You might head home knowing considerably more about Tasmania than when you arrived.
Positive Impact stories from Southern Tasmania
Behind each listing is a story about someone doing things a little differently.
Meet tourism operators restoring habitat, accommodation providers reducing energy use, producers buying locally, guides contributing to scientific research and organisations giving visitors the chance to become actively involved.
These aren’t simply sustainability claims. They are practical examples of tourism contributing to Southern Tasmania’s environment, culture and communities.
SEARCH STORIES
CATEGORY
LOCATION
Small choices can make a difference too
Positive Impact Tourism doesn’t always mean joining a conservation project or giving up a day to volunteer.
Often, it comes down to the choices you make along the way. Where you stay, where you eat, what you buy and how you move through a place can all help support Southern Tasmania’s communities, wildlife and environment.
Support local
Choose locally owned businesses, producers, makers, accommodation and experiences where you can.
Stopping at a farm gate, booking with a local operator, eating somewhere that sources from nearby growers or buying something made in Tasmania all help keep more of your visitor spend within the communities you’re travelling through.
Travel prepared
Tasmanian conditions can change quickly, especially in alpine and remote areas.
Check the weather and track conditions before setting out, carry suitable clothing and equipment, let someone know your plans and follow advice from Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and local authorities.
A little preparation is good for you, and it also reduces the pressure placed on emergency and rescue services.
Care for wildlife and wild places
Southern Tasmania is home to wildlife and landscapes that need a little consideration from all of us.
Give animals plenty of space, never feed wildlife and take extra care on the roads around dawn and dusk. When you’re out walking, stick to formed tracks and use existing lookouts to help protect sensitive vegetation and reduce erosion.
Learn about the place you’re visiting
lutruwita / Tasmania has been cared for by Tasmanian Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years.
Take the time to learn about the places you visit, listen to Tasmanian Aboriginal voices and seek out experiences that share culture, knowledge and stories respectfully.
Understanding more about a place often changes the way you experience it.
Reduce what you leave behind
A reusable bottle, coffee cup or shopping bag can go a long way.
Use recycling facilities where they’re available, follow local signage and take rubbish with you when facilities are limited. In more remote parts of Southern Tasmania, what you bring in may need to come back out with you too.
Give something back
If you have the time, there are plenty of ways to become more involved.
Join a volunteer project, contribute to citizen science, support a conservation organisation or choose an experience that directly contributes to wildlife, habitat restoration or community programs.
Sometimes a few hours can add another layer to your trip.
Travel thoughtfully
Positive Impact Tourism isn’t about travelling perfectly.
It’s about making thoughtful choices, supporting people who are doing good work and caring for the places you’ve come to experience.
Choose an experience that gives something back. Buy local. Learn something new. Lend a hand if you can.
A good trip for you can be a good thing for Southern Tasmania too.
Join us in our promise to give back more than we take from this extraordinary place and its people.
Hobart and Beyond Editorial Team
The Hobart and Beyond Editorial Team is dedicated to bringing you the best insider tips, local stories, and up-to-date guides to exploring southern Tasmania.
Article Details: