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Planned return of the Ghan good news for NT tourism

PLANS for The Ghan to make a return to Darwin are being set in motion now that July 17 has been announced for the reopening of the Territory’s border with South Australia.

It won’t be long before Territorians can again see The Ghan back on track following easing of border restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Supplied
It won’t be long before Territorians can again see The Ghan back on track following easing of border restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Supplied

PLANS for The Ghan to make a return to Darwin are being set in motion now that July 17 has been announced for the reopening of the Territory’s border with South Australia.

Prior to the announcement bookings for the service were being taken for August, with tickets in premium class selling well.

Journey Beyond chief operating officer Luke Walker said trains had been suspended since March but were now ready to responsibly resume.

“Demand for The Ghan and Indian Pacific rail journeys are still strong and our guests are telling us they’re ready to travel again, and keen to explore SA, NT and WA,” he said.

“We’re ready to operate in this new environment and look forward to resuming our landmark journeys and experiences.”

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The Ghan announcement is more good news for the Territory’s struggling tourism industry, which was buoyed by last week’s announcement of drastically reduced airfares to the Territory by Jetstar.

The airline announced discounted fares on 200,000 seats across a raft of national destinations. Jetstar’s sale is across 35 routes, for 15 destinations, in the NT, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

The Jetstar sale set new records with almost 70,000 of its 200,000 seats selling in the first five hours.

All 10,000 $19 fares were snapped up in just four hours, highlighting the huge pent-up demand for air travel.

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Jetstar sale fares were selling at a rate of 220 per minute when the sale opened, which is nearly 40 times higher the rate of bookings on a normal day.

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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/business/planned-return-of-the-ghan-good-news-for-nt-tourism/news-story/6d31dce21c2f023910f0915bc4940357