On a breezy summery Tasmanian afternoon, leaders from Tasmania’s tourism industry gathered at the tranquil grounds of Villa Howden for the launch of ‘Showcasing Tasmania and the connection to Fujian China’. Held on 20 January, the book was officially launched by the Premier of Tasmania and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Will Hodgman MP. In his speech, he spoke about the longstanding friendship between Tasmania and its sister city, Fujian, and acknowledged the efforts that local Chinese community leaders are putting in to strengthen this relationship. The event was well attended by local dignitaries, including Minister for Arts and Justice, the Hon. Elise Archer MP; Chairman of Australian Travel and Culture Group and owner of Villa Howden, Mr William Wei; Mayor of Clarence, Alderman Doug Chipman; as well as many esteemed leaders within the Tasmanian tourism industry, and investors from interstate and overseas. Master Wang was also invited to attend this event.
Authored by Anthony Hope and Jason Xu, ‘Showcasing Tasmania and the connection to Fujian China’ is a compilation of diverse articles from Tasmania and Fujian, and highlights over 35 years of trade and connections between the two states. Apart from the Premier’s speech, both Jason and Anthony spoke of their four-year journey of the making of this book. In addition, Mr. Wei also spoke of the trends in Tasmania’s tourism sector from a Chinese tourism investor’s perspective, and the bright future that Tasmania has.