Territorians can dip into new $5m NT tourism discount campaign meant to attract interstate travellers

Territorians will be allowed to tap into a $5 million government tourism discount scheme designed to attract interstate travellers to the NT during the traditional low season.

• New $5m NT tourism cash splash cuts up to $1000 off a Territory holiday for interstate travellers

Territorians will be allowed to tap into a $5 million government tourism discount scheme designed to attract interstate travellers to the NT during the traditional low season.

Dubbed the NT’s “largest ever summer campaign”, the discount scheme will allow travellers to save up to $1000 on a holiday booking made between October this year and March 31 next year.

Travellers can get $200 off every $1000 spent, for a maximum discount of $1000, if the holiday is booked through select travel companies including Flight Centre and Helloworld.

Tourism Minister Natasha Fyles said Territorians could also tap into the cash, such as Top Enders looking to holiday in Central Australia or vice versa.

Backyard Territorian tourists could then use their tourism voucher separately on another experience.

Tourism Minister Natasha Fyles. Picture: Che Chorley

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It’s hoped the so called “NT Summer Sale” campaign will push people interstate to come up to the Territory in what is typically the low season for the tourism industry.

The campaign has been welcomed by tourism industry heads, including Tourism Top End chief executive Glen Hingley, who said it was an opportunity to “reset the way” people thought of travelling the Top End.

Mr Hingley said hot and humid weather with the occasional downpour did not stop people from travelling to places like Cairns, Bali or Thailand, and the wet season in the Top End “certainly isn’t about drizzle and miserable conditions”.

“I don’t think it’s fair that we’ve traditionally said to ourselves that it’s the wet season and we just shut everything down,” he said.

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Australian Tourism Industry Council executive director Simon Westaway said safe interstate travel during COVID-19 was the key to getting the tourism industry back on its feet.