‘Seasonal Experiences Index’ 2025 from Big Red Group reveals increase in NT tourist booking numbers
A new report claims there is a “cause for optimism” surrounding the Northern Territory’s often troubled travel industry, with the report showing considerable increases to booking numbers across the Territory.
A new report claims there is a “cause for optimism” surrounding the Northern Territory’s often troubled travel industry, with the report showing considerable increases to booking numbers across the country.
Entertainment company Big Red Group’s ‘Seasonal Experiences Index: Spring/Summer 2025’ report found nationally bookings to date are up by 64 per cent in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
The report analysed more than 650,000 experiences nationwide and identified trends, challenges and successes seen in the tourism industry across the year.
Locally, the report found bookings in Katherine were down 82.9 per cent year-on-year.
This comes despite the Katherine Outback Experience taking home gold in the Tourist Attractions category for the 2024 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Adelaide, held on Saturday.
Darwin has been hit with a 30.3 per cent increase in bookings this year, which can be partially credited to Wharf One and Airborne Solutions.
The report also stated Darwin’s wider suburbs, which were not explicitly named in the report, have seen bookings increase by a whopping 81 per cent. Alice Springs also recovered from a weaker autumn and winter period, according to the report.
Thanks to Outback Ballooning, one of Australia’s longest serving ballooning companies, Alice Springs have seen a 10 per cent increase in bookings this year.
Overall, last year’s autumn and winter period (March to August) saw a decrease in experiences booked in the NT by 18.5 per cent, the third largest decline seen in the country behind New South Wales, 22.8 per cent; and South Australia, 20.9 per cent.
In the following spring period, however, the NT saw an increase of experiences booked by 4.2 per cent.
This marked the Territory as the only jurisdiction in the country to record a positive increase in experiences booked in the Spring (September to November) period.
The elation was short lived, though, with experiences booked in summer period (December to February) seeing a Territory-wide decrease of 23 per cent in experiences booked.
Big Red Group chief executive David Anderson said in a statement Australia’s tourism industry was “finding its stride again” and anticipated continued growth.
“We don’t anticipate this to lose momentum any time soon either – particularly as we appear to be nearing light at the end of the tunnel after nearly half a decade of recovery and uncertainty,” he said.
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