SUNDAY TERRITORIAN EDITORIAL: Tourism operators will vouch for popular scheme

Tourism vouchers are back, and their importance cannot be overstated. Territorians need to dig deep to help struggling operators.

CORONAVIRUS has taken our tourism and hospitality sectors on a disastrous and soul-destroying rollercoaster ride over the past 18 months, but a silver lining through the storm has been tourism vouchers.

They’ve not only given Territorians the ability to afford that holiday at home, the vouchers have provided the industry with a lifeline when our borders are shut to other states.

You only have to look at how quickly the last round of vouchers were snapped up to see how much they encourage Territorians to get out and about in their own backyards.

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Five minutes is all it took – there are major festivals which can take longer to sell out.

For that reason, we have to applaud the government for bringing back the tourism vouchers for another year.

We are certain operators out there, currently suffering through the loss of their Brisbane and Sydney markets, are cheering for the news too.

There’s still some unknowns, namely the actual date the vouchers will become available.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner isn’t ready to share those details, most likely because the finer points of the voucher scheme are still being worked out within government.

But what operators need in spades right now is hope.

So it’s great that the Chief has come out and given confirmation relief is coming.

Hospitality NT has estimated Brisbane’s hotspot declaration alone will cost local tourism industries a fifth of their business.

Sydney, which will likely remain shut-out for months to come, is undoubtedly an even bigger market.

And Melbourne and Adelaide have only just reopened to the Territory after crushing their own respective Covid-19 outbreaks.

And within days they could be locked out again.

It just goes to show how erratic this pandemic can be for any industry, let alone ones dedicated to the free movement of people across borders.

In times like these, supporting operators with local tourism is crucial, and the government stepping in plays a crucial role.

Also vital is that Territorians recognise the importance of venturing out and visiting places in the NT.

There’s a lot of places which many of us haven’t yet ventured out to see, and these vouchers offer up the perfect opportunity to get a taste of what the Territory has.

Thank God the vouchers are back.