NT’S DRIVE FOR MORE TOURISM MUST SUCCEED

TOURISM NT has released a Destination Management Plan for the Greater Darwin region, which will act as a blueprint to attract more tourists to the Territory by 2030.

From reading the report, it is clear that tourism was declining long before the pandemic, with a majority of visitors coming from interstate or elsewhere in the Territory.

There is no doubt that the NT is having to compete with other states and overseas markets to be a first travel pick with borders opening.

The management plan is advocating Darwin’s domestic and international connectivity through the international airport in hopes to open the region to new visitors.

To use Darwin particularly as a “stopover” destination is vital in generating expenditure, but we should be fighting for so much more than that.

The Territory should not just be somewhere people stop to rest on their way somewhere else.

We are a destination.

The report revealed we have a perception problem – people do not think highly of the NT.

It is not the weather – in fact, consultations have shown the warm weather is a drawcard – instead people think there is not much going on in Darwin.

But locals know that is simply not true.

Next weekend we are hosting the Territory’s biggest music festival, BASSINTHEGRASS.

In a couple of months there is the Darwin Festival.

Over the past five years, our cafe scene has blossomed. We are no longer a one-horse town that only serves beer. We have multiple gin bars, wine bars and boutique breweries. The task ahead is not creating this culture, but promoting it.

Almost $800m is expected to flow through from tourism in 2029-30, but that will only be the case if the strategies outlined in the report are achieved.

Efforts to reinvigorate the Territory extend further from just Darwin with investments in other regions to encourage and support tourists to travel the distance. Boosts to the National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs and upgrades to accommodation and experiences at Uluru could be the catalyst for more visitation in Central Australia.

Our unique wildlife has been proven to be a drawcard and we should continue to promote it.

But we must also showcase what people do not expect to find – great coffee, a booming arts scene and a modern city.