Tasmania's economic turnaround in recent years has been largely on the back of a wave of tourism.

Key points: The State Government is searching for Tasmania's "next iconic multi-day" walk

The State Government is searching for Tasmania's "next iconic multi-day" walk Conservationist Bob Brown wants it built in the state's north-west wilderness

Conservationist Bob Brown wants it built in the state's north-west wilderness The Tarkine has traditionally been an environmental battleground

Record numbers of visitors are shouldering a backpack and shelling out cash to tackle the state's two most famous multi-day bush walks, the Three Capes Track, near Port Arthur in the state's south east, and the Overland Track, which starts at Cradle Mountain and ends at Lake St Clair.

Ecotourism now has cross-party support, and the Tasmanian Liberals went into the last state election promising to build on that success with a promise of up to $20 million to deliver "Tasmania's next iconic multi-day, hut-based walk".

There were five sites highlighted as contenders: the Freycinet Peninsula, The Walls of Jerusalem, South West Conservation Area, the Southwest National Park, and the Tarkine.

All have their fans and local supporters lobbying for them to get the nod, but the Tarkine has a particularly well-conditioned campaigner, in former Greens leader Bob Brown.

His foundation has paid for a business case for what it calls a Trans Tarkine Track, and he says the numbers stack up.

The case says $25 million will get the track built, and within three years more than 10,000 people will be walking it, generating around $1 million a year.

Former Greens leader Bob Brown believes the numbers stack up for the Tarkine development. ( Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation )

What is the Tarkine?

For decades, conservationists have been fighting to protect the 477,000-hectare expanse known as the Tarkine in north-west Tasmania.

It's generally understood to stretch from the west coast, to the Arthur River to the north, the Pieman River to the south, and the Murchison Highway to the east.

The Tarkine includes the largest cool-temperature rainforest in the southern hemisphere, and pockets of Gondwana forest, which have been largely unchanged for 65 million years.

It is home to a variety of rare, threatened and endangered species, including the Tasmanian devil and the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle.

The proposed 100 kilometre route is expected to take 10 days to walk. ( Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation )

The Trans Tarkine Track would traverse the middle of the area.

Starting at Keith River Road, it would head roughly south-west through the Tarkine before hitting the west coast.

In total, the 10-day track would stretch for 100 kilometres, although it could be broken into two, five-day tracks.

However, the Tarkine isn't just loved for its natural beauty.

There are estimates the Trans Tarkine Track would draw 10,000 walkers each year. ( Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation )

It also encompasses rich seams of minerals, which mining companies have long cherished, while loggers have sought access to some of the timber for their mills.

As it stands, the Tarkine is not a national park, and there are those who dispute how pristine the landscape truly is, with former premier Tony Rundle once declaring "there is more wilderness in Battery Point Hobart than there is in the Tarkine".

Mr Brown is open in his desire to use this new iconic walk as the impetus to get the Tarkine declared as a national park and protected.

"If we protect the Tarkine now we're going to have an absolute gem and complement to the rest of the world heritage area forever," he said.

He said this walk would rival the inland Overland Track, given it allows hikers to walk along the wild west Tasmanian coast.

The Tarkine region stretches over 477,000 hectares in north-west Tasmania. ( Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation )

He is also pushing for this walk to delve much more deeply into Tasmania's Indigenous heritage, with guides tasked to explain the history.

The battle for Tasmania's forests has generally been fought as a binary trade off, either economic growth or conservation.

But Bob Brown said building the track would help brings jobs to the area.

"The only way to make this a resource which is going to be producing employment and economic well being as well as protecting the environmental amenity is to be protect it," he said.

The Tarkine region is one of five being considered by the Government. ( Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation )

The Tarkine is against stiff competition to get the nod as the next great walk.

Partly due to its remoteness, the Tarkine currently only draws 43,000 visitors a year.

This pales in comparison to the most popular national park, Freycinet, which is much closer to Hobart, which attracts around 300,000 a year.

It also is likely to face a battle with those who are worried the walk would lock up a large pocket of the state for future development.