Tourism dip blamed on FIFOs

TOURISM Minister Lauren Moss said fly-in fly-out workers on major projects, particularly Inpex, are partly to blame for the 4 per cent drop in international tourists and the corresponding 12 per cent drop in spend in the Territory.

Minister Moss remained positive that the Territory Government’s record $103 million injection into NT tourism will turn the figures around.

Latest Tourism Research Australia figures for international visitors and spend by state showed the Territory had 287,400 visitors in the year ended March 2018, which was a drop of 4 per cent. Spend was $405 million, which was a hefty 12 per cent drop.

The eastern seaboard recorded significant increases in both areas with Tourism Australia’s star-studded Dundee: The Son of a Legend Returns Home campaign being credited for some of this.

It was part of a Tourism Australia campaign aimed at bringing US travellers to Australia and included Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and US comedian actor Danny McBride.

The campaign has seen a jump in US visitor spending nationally by 4 per cent to $3.8 billion.

Minister Moss said the March figures come just a month after the Territory’s $103 million tourism stimulus was launched.

“We know that workers on major projects, particularly Inpex, have displaced tourists over the past few years in the Top End, taking up seats on planes and filling our hotel rooms,” Minister Moss said.

“These latest international visitor figures reflect that, but this data only looks at the year ending in March 2018, which means it does not factor in the stimulus.

“We have now ramped up investment in our critical tourism industry to lure more visitors here from overseas and interstate. As Inpex starts to wind down, we are working hard to lure more tourists and business travellers here.”