Tasmania. We need to talk.

Dear Tasmania,

You really are something special.

Congratulations on the Lonely Planet thing. Everyone’s talking about how you were named the fourth best region to visit in 2015 in its annual Best in Travel awards. I know it’s not the first time LP has given you a bit of love. Remember back in 2012 when Hobart was named the seventh best city to visit? That top 10 list also included San Francisco, Amsterdam and Beijing. Talk about playing at the grown up’s table! Nice work.

Anyway, back to the most recent accolade. The praise from LP is a big deal and it was spot on. They called you “wild and dramatic, cultured and quirky, isolated yet accessible”.

Do you know what else they said?

“Offering some of Australia’s most diverse, remote and wild outdoor experiences, Tasmania abounds in natural splendour. Whether it’s exploring the quiet, eerie grandeur of Cradle Mountain, bravely traversing the mighty Franklin River – home to the state’s dark forested heart, or stumbling upon the breathtaking beaches that make up the Bay of Fires, the state contains a lifetime’s worth of adventures.

“The diversity of offerings from Tasmania’s plate may require multiple helpings.

“The isolation and stunning coastal scenery of this island in the state’s southeast make it the perfect escape from the rat race, but it’s the artisanal produce that can be sourced here that elevates it to must-go.”

See that Tassie? You’re a must-go. But those of us who live here already knew that. And while we are hugely excited that now the whole world knows it, we are also slightly annoyed that now the whole world knows it.

You’re everything Lonely Planet says you are and so much more. It blows my mind that so many people cross the world to visit Australia and skip the trip over Bass Strait. They have no idea what they’re missing. You are one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve been and for the most part, I think we’re looking after you pretty well.

Thanks to Lonely Planet lots of people are interested in you now and they want to know what all the fuss is about.

If anyone asks, just show them some of your profile pictures:

But as you know, looks aren’t everything Tassie. Although it helps that I never need to travel far to see this side of you. I like that things are pretty chilled here. That everything moves that little bit slower – in a good way. Not in a dial-up internet way. Oh let’s not talk about your internet access. That definitely isn’t something anyone is going to praise you for – especially LP.

Oh I nearly forgot. Did you see what Tourism Tasmania did in the mainland papers?

Hilarious! I bet Sydney was pissed.

I’m sure last week was one big party in the Tourism Tas offices. Everyone will be fantasising about what the Best in Travel listing means for you. I may not have opened a Lonely Planet guidebook in a long time, but when it comes to recommendations like this, I take notice.

But as much as I love you Tassie,  I’m not shy about saying that you need to lift your game. I tell so many people to visit you, and I know tourism is big business here, except in a lot of ways we don’t do it well.

Travelling here is frustrating. Every now and then I put my tourist hat on and imagine how I’d explore you if I didn’t live here. The answer? Not very well.

For starters, you really need to improve the public transport to tourism destinations. You can’t just expect me to have a car. Hiring one is expensive and the cost of the Spirit of Tasmania is not encouraging. Although sometimes it doesn’t seem like the bus is any cheaper. It costs $80 to catch the bus from Hobart to Burnie one-way. A trip to Cradle Mountain? $110 return from Launceston. No wonder so many people don’t leave Hobart.

Costs aside, some of the finer details need tweaking. If I took a day trip to Cradle Mountain using public transport I’d have barely three hours in the national park. You and I both know that’s not enough. When you offer a service for tourists, you need to consider the tourist experience. I know as a visitor I would be more than happy to leave my hotel super early and return in the dark if it meant I could maximise my time at the most iconic place in the state. It wouldn’t kill the bus driver to depart earlier to make that possible.

Now, let’s talk about your opening hours. Repeat after me: tourism is not a 9-5 business. When I’m travelling I don’t care what day of the week it is or if it’s after-hours. So when you shut half the state for a public holiday, it’s just not cool. It’s bad enough on a Sunday when I want a coffee that doesn’t come from McCafe.

See MONA’s got it right. OK it’s a bit strange it’s not open on Tuesdays but at least that changes for January. Who could have predicted that a bizarre collection of art in an underground museum built by an eccentric millionaire gambler would be so popular? Now every part of the state wants its own drawcard. Tassie, you’ve got such a “build it and they will come” mentality. Personally, I’d like to see a “build it and provide affordable, frequent transport to it” approach.

People get so excited for all the new developments and they forget tourism here struggles in a lot of areas that should be improved before they start building MONA 2.0. I don’t mean to upset you, but come on, you know there’s things you could be doing better, such as being more budget friendly.

As a budget traveller, there is so much to see here because in a lot of ways, you’re the attraction! But if people want to do some of the activities here, it can become expensive. Budget travellers are not just backpackers trying to spend as little as possible. They are couples and families and people like me who want to make their money stretch that little bit further.

Did you know the bus to Port Arthur costs $50 return? (Except there is no bus out there and back on a weekday. Only on a weekend. How stupid is that?) Oh a pass to Port Arthur costs $70 if I wanted to spend the whole day there (which I’ll have to do if I take the bus). I’ve been to Port Arthur and I know it’s cool, but I’m not sure I’d spend $100 to see it. Sorry. I know some of these things you can’t help. You’re a small state and well, Australia is an expensive place to travel anyway, but considering people already have to fork out for a flight over here, you don’t make it easy once they arrive. $17 for the airport bus to Hobart? In Adelaide it cost me about $3 on a public bus! In Edinburgh it was less than that.

I hope I haven’t offended you Tassie. I just needed to get this off my chest. These things bugged me before I moved overseas and now that I’ve spent so long travelling, I’ve come back more frustrated because I know how well other destinations do this. You have a lot of potential, but you let yourself down sometimes.

But don’t forget I genuinely do love you, Tassie. I mean it when I tell people they should come visit.  You are freakin’ amazing. Even though you’re hard to get around, expensive and think it’s OK to close tourism attractions and the like just because you need a day off. Because in spite of all of that, you are paradise.

Love always,

Megan