Wine Tasmania is offering all-expenses-paid holidays to industry workers

Wine Tasmania is offering a select number of all expenses paid holidays to Australian wine trade workers to encourage education and appreciation of Tasmanian wine. 

Two different vacations, the Local Wine Trade Visit and the National Wine Trade Visit, will be available in 2024 for Tasmanian and interstate professionals respectively. 

“Our wine trade visitation programs provide an important connection between the country’s best venues and Tasmania’s most highly regarded wine producers,” said Sheralee Davies, CEO at Wine Tasmania. 

“Exploring the island and its talented wine producers is the best way to understand the depth, diversity and regionality of our outstanding wines and to experience the place we're privileged to call home.”

The 2024 National Trade Visit will take place over two days and two nights on the 13 and 14 May and includes return economy flights from successful applicants’ closest capital cities, two nights' accommodation, and all meals, transport and activities. Applications for the ten available slots are open to all industry workers directly responsible for wholesale wine purchasing within their mainland-based restaurant, wine bar or wine retail business. Successful applicants will be awarded with an invaluable opportunity to interact and learn from Tasmania’s leading wine producers, along with having the chance to sample the state’s finest wines and food. The National Wine Trade Visit has already hosted more than 100 wine buyers since its conception in 2010. 

Now in its second year, the Local Wine Trade Visit will take place in the north on 8 April and in the south on 15 April and will grant local representatives the chance to observe vineyard operations during vintage 2024. 

The 2024 visit comes shortly after the region’s wine sector has been forecasted to grow to $2 billion by 2040, a significant increase on its current estimated $420 million annual production. 

This will make the Tasmanian wine sector the most significant contributor to the Tasmanian economy, outperforming all other sectors.

“Tasmania's exceptional wines and their talented producers have attracted a lot of attention, both at home and abroad,” said Davies. 

“Demand for Tasmania's wines often exceeds our annual wine production, and many wines are hard to find or only offered in small or allocation-based quantities.” 

Tasmania’s wine industry currently employs 3,600 workers full time. It was was also the only state that saw an increase in wine-industry workforce over the past decade, up 74% compared to the 29% overall reduction nationally. 

During the same period, Tasmania was also the only state where females in grape growing roles increased, up by 115%.

Tasmania was also listed as one of the world’s top ten wine getaways by Wine Enthusiast in 2019, with the magazine noting that its "relaxed pace has drawn in travelers who seek an undiscovered slice of heaven, with bountiful natural resources and plenty of world-class wine. “

More information can be found on the Wine Tasmania website.