Parks and the NT government need to front foot the concerns of our tourism industry

MOST ordinary Territorians will be quite comfortable with the introduction of fees for trekkers and campers in our parks

The Larapinta Trail, West MacDonnell National Park. Picture: Getty

MOST ordinary Territorians will be quite comfortable with the introduction of fees for trekkers and campers in our parks.

First up most of us will not have to pay any fees because we are locals.

Secondly a user pay system which sees money being reinvested in the parks and going to Traditional Owners is not an unreasonable expectation in this day of user pays.

OTHER NT NEWS EDITORIALS

Darwin’s most exciting project

Increase in CCTV cameras a win for Territorians

Editorial: Give us back our rights to discuss euthanasia in NT

And thirdly whether they are federal or Territory controlled, our parks are critical to the tourism experience in the NT and providing the opportunity for jobs on-country and new Aboriginal tourism goes with that.

This then makes it equally critical that the Territory’s tourism industry and the businesses that make it up, are intimately involved in these changes and how they are implemented.

They haven’t been.

It would be an opportunity missed if parks were to roll out fees and then talk to industry it affects after.

This is a fee being levied against tourists, not locals, so Parks and the NT government need to front foot the concerns of our tourism industry.

HOT NEW DEAL: Read everything for 28 days for just $1

It has commercial necessities that need to be taken into account across all sectors of the tourism industry – whether people are going in on guided walking tours, small intimate tours, larger tour groups, staying in caravan camp grounds.

Businesses rely on customers being able to access parks

Time to talk.

Follow @TheNTNews