Tasmania's growing reputation as tourist destination partly due to Chinese president's visit

Tasmania's acting tourism minister believes the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping last year has enhanced the reputation of the fledgling Australian island state as a tourist destination.

Tasmania will next month be announced as the best island destination within the south Pacific by major tourism magazine Travel and Leisure in its August edition.

Tasmania was also named the fourth best island escape in the world behind the Galapagos Islands, Bali and the Maldives.

The acting tourism minister, Jeremy Rockliff, suggested that the state's recent spate of high praise from the tourism industry was partly down to the Chinese president, who visited Tasmania with a retinue of staff and media last November.

"(The award) intensifies the international spotlight that has been shining on our state recently, including the Lonely Planet ranking Tasmania the 4th best region in the world to visit, the Chinese president's visit and our tourism businesses winning an unprecedented 10 gold at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards," Rockliff told the ABC on Wednesday.

"This is great exposure that no amount of money can buy, and will no doubt help us reach our target of attracting 1.5 million visitors to our state every year by 2020."

Xi's exploration of the Tasmanian city of Hobart on Nov. 18 was covered by a 200-strong Chinese media contingent.

The Hobart Mercury reported in November that the exposure of the state to China's mass market would spur an increase in tourism, trade exports and international students.

Tasmania dominated the recent Australian Tourism Awards in April, winning more than a third 10 of 29 - of the honors. Endi