NT tour operators record slowest ever start to tourist season

The Northern Territory Government come under fire for downplaying the impact of recent crime coverage in central Australia on the region’s tourism industry.

There has been ongoing violence in Alice Springs and Darwin which came to a head earlier this year when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made an emergency visit to the red centre.

Independent member of the legislative committee, Alice Springs, Robyn Lambley told a budget estimates hearing that tour operators in the region have recorded the, “slowest start they’ve ever seen to the tourist season,” on Tuesday.

Lambley noted the weekend of the Finke Desert Race, which is generally a boom weekend for tourism in Alice Springs as an indicator of the lack of tourists.

“There were beds available throughout the town – we’ve never seen that before,” Lambley said.

“It’s usually the busiest weekend [of the year] in Alice Springs.”

Acting chief minister, Nicole Manison told the hearings she believed the key factor is the cost of living crisis, rather than the crime.

“[Crime] is certainly something we listen to the industry about, some of the experiences some people have [in the territory], and we want to make sure that when people come here they have a fantastic experience

“We did put in extra [tourism marketing] funding at the start of the year around Central Australia at the start of the year, as it really did get some national coverage, as we know.

“For some people, I’m sure that [crime] has had an impact on their decision-making, but the majority of where we’re hearing that those pressures are coming from are interest rate rises, trying to pay the bills, but also having more choice now [post-COVID] about where people can actually go.”

The government acknowledged there had been a slow start to the season, however, did not directly answer questions surrounding modelling of the impact of crime on tourism in specific parts of the country.