CLP backs calls for $1m Central Australian tourism voucher scheme

The CLP has backed calls for a Red Centre tourism voucher scheme in response to a ‘real emergency’ faced by operators, but the government has insisted there are ‘tourists everywhere’.

The CLP has thrown its support behind a Red Centre-specific tourism voucher scheme, with the Territory government stating it would look into the measure “if there is a need”.

Braitling MLA Josh Burgoyne and Namatjira MLA Bill Yan have called for the Territory Labor government to reinstate a Central Australian-specific tourism voucher scheme in response to a “real emergency” faced by tourism operators.

“We need to support these tourism operators to ensure that they are here into the future; so many operators are doing it tough right now,” Mr Burgoyne said.

“During Covid-19 when an emergency was called we saw the government come to the tourism operators aid.

Namatjira MLA Bill Yan, Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford and Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne discuss plans for a tourism voucher scheme in Central Australia. Picture: Laura Hooper.

“Right now we believe with the summer crisis that we saw in regards to crime, our tourism operators are dealing with a very real same emergency now.”

Mr Burgoyne said the CLP’s proposed voucher scheme would come at the cost of $1 million, which could be taken from the $35m “market harder” budget previously announced by the Labor government.

The vouchers would be specific to Central Australia, with a dollar-for-dollar match-up to $200.

Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said he was “very thankful” for the CLP’s backing of another round Red Centre specific tourism vouchers, with operators reporting visitation as low as 50 per cent on previous years.

“We think that is a really important mechanism as a short sharp burst of opportunity for our industry to get us through this season and into next year,” he said.

“We rely very heavily on the revenues and moneys that come in through the tourism season, and with those moneys at an all-time low, we certainly need that short term sugar hit that a round of vouchers will do.

“And what we have seen previously is that they have been beneficial.”

Tourism numbers have been increasingly tracking down, including a “significant” reduction in people in town for the Finke Desert Race weekend. Picture: (A) manda Parkinson

He said without the introduction of vouchers to boost the industry in the second half of 2023 he feared for the future of some operators.

“We certainly have been saying for some months now that we need help,” he said.

“Our industry is still very fragile, and we’re calling upon, in fact begging governments to throw more resources to support our industry, whether that comes in the form of tourism vouchers or marketing.”

He said the reductions were primarily in the drive market, with a “significant” reduction in the number of grey nomads.

“We’re seeing a lot of competition with our short haul international markets like Bali and Fiji,” he said.

“We’re seeing the re-emergence of the cruise shipping industry and the many very cheap deals they’re throwing in the market, and offcourse the crime issues that we’ve had to endure especially over this summer, and the firestorm of national negative media that engulfed Alice Springs.

“All of those wrapped up together have seen the challenges we’re facing right here, right now.”

Tourism Minister Nicole Manison said the government would consider looking into tourism vouchers as a stimulus measure “if there is a need”, stating there were “tourists everywhere” in Central Australia the “past few weeks”. Picture: Laura Hooper.

Tourism Minister Nicole Manison said the government would remain agile in their policy.

“Like all policy we are agile – the tourism vouchers were needed when Australians were locked down and no one was travelling,” she said

“If there is a need to bring back the vouchers as a stimulus measure, then we will look at it.

“We have also invested more into marketing Central Australian tourism this year and anyone who has been there in the last few weeks can see tourists everywhere.”

She said the government was backing the Central Australian tourism industry with a $35.5m budget allocation, alongside a range of government funding programs including Roadhouse to Recovery, Visitor Experience Enhancement Program, Aboriginal Tourism grants, Aboriginal Tourism Development and Accessibility and Sustainability grants.

She also pointed to the Territory government’s “Summer Done Differently” campaign, which aims to inspire viewers to “go where the summer has already started”.

Originally published as CLP backs calls for $1m Central Australian tourism voucher scheme