Launceston Mayor, Danny Gibson, has expressed his disappointment at news the city’s popular Boag’s visitor centre and brewery tours will close on January 31.
The brewery’s owner, Lion Australia, yesterday announced the visitor centre, brewery tours, bar and function hire would cease from the end of this month, citing ongoing challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mayor Gibson said the news was “a significant blow” for Launceston’s visitor economy.
“The Boag’s visitor centre and brewery tours are consistently ranked extremely highly by visitors to Launceston through feedback to the Launceston Visitor Information Centre and through a range of tourism review websites,” Mayor Gibson said.
“In point of fact, the James Boag Brewery Experience is ranked by Tripadvisor visitors among Launceston’s top three most popular activities, alongside visits to iconic Launceston destinations like the Cataract Gorge and City Park.”
In a statement, Lion Australia said the decision to close Boag’s hospitality and tour offerings would allow it to focus purely on brewing beer. The decision is set to impact two permanent staff members and 11 casual employees.
Mayor Gibson said Boag had been associated with Launceston for more than 160 years and the City of Launceston Council had an excellent working relationship with local management at the brewery.
“However, the decision by Lion’s national office to effectively close the brewery to tourists is a significant blow for the city,” he said.
“Especially at a time when Launceston is seeking to leverage the opportunities that will flow from being designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
“Lion has pointed to a range of COVID-19 related factors in its decision-making, and there’s no doubt the past few years have been extremely tough for all kinds of businesses.
“However, it’s my intention to seek a meeting with Lion as soon as practicable to better understand the decision and to explore any opportunities to re-consider the closure in the future.
“I extend my sympathies to the affected staff at Boag’s who have done so much to boost
Launceston’s reputation as a visitor destination to a global audience.”
