Art-felt praise for Hobart icon

Bilbao, in Spain, attracted few tourists until architect Frank Gehry's striking Guggenheim museum building opened in 1997.

TRAVEL guide company Lonely Planet compares the MONA effect in Hobart to the experience of Bilbao in Spain, where a new Guggenheim Museum of modern art transformed the city.

Bilbao attracted few tourists until architect Frank Gehry's striking museum building opened in 1997. For people around the world, it put the small Spanish city on the map.

In much the same way, MONA was changing the image of Hobart, said Lonely Planet's Asia-Pacific marketing director Chris Zeiher

It was the "beacon experience" of MONA which inspired the company to pick Hobart as one of the world's top 10 must-see cities in its Best in Travel 2013 guidebook.

Mr Zeiher said Lonely Planet had one million hits a month on its website and had sold 100 million guidebooks in its 39 years, so the effect of the listing would be felt far and wide.

While many overseas travellers would sit up and take notice of Hobart for the first time, he believed Australians also would be moved to revisit Tasmania and stay longer.

"We are hoping Australians get the message and that they consider Hobart as a three or four-day stopover, taking the time to see MONA but also explore some of the other attractions," Mr Zeiher said.

He was in Hobart yesterday doing just that, sharing a whiskey with Bill Lark at the Lark Distillery, which rated a mention in Best in Travel 2013.

Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Ben Targett said Hobart's top-10 listing would benefit smaller ventures in the whole state because Lonely Planet guides encouraged travellers to look beyond the main tourist routes and explore independently.

Tourism Minister Scott Bacon said the listing highlighted what a drawcard MONA had become.

He said it had not only changed the industry, it had changed the way Tasmanians felt about themselves.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Art-felt praise for Hobart icon

Dengan url

http://kembangtrotoar.blogspot.com/2012/10/art-felt-praise-for-hobart-icon.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Art-felt praise for Hobart icon

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Art-felt praise for Hobart icon

sebagai sumbernya