NT releases 'Tourism Vision 2020'

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Created on Tuesday, 15 October 2013 15:40

Written by Editorial staff

A strategy has just been released that promises to boost the Northern Territory's tourism sector.

The Northern Territory's Minister for Tourism, Matt Conlan, shared 'Tourism Vision 2020' with the world on October 15. He announced that the strategy will only be successful if the entire Northern Territory gets involved.

He explained that the government "values tourism and the thousands of people that flock to the Northern Territory every year".

We're sure migration agents in the region will play an important role in making 'Tourism Vision 2020' a reality.

The overall goal of the strategy is to increase overnight visitor spending in the Northern Territory to a whopping $2.2 billion by the end of the decade.

Mr Conlan admitted that it's an "ambitious" target, but added that it's totally achievable.

"Achieving this target will mean jobs, economic stability and reinvestment. It means increasing visitor expenditure by $535 million from 2011-12, and creating 4,300 new jobs," he explained.

The strategy doesn't just focus on the "traditional leisure market", said Mr Conlan. It also includes outlines for attracting more education, military and business events to the Northern Territory.

Those who operate in these industries were consulted when 'Tourism Vision 2020' was being developed, and they will continue to be a part of its execution.

This is the first time the Northern Territory has shifted its focus from attracting more tourists to "a broader visitor economy concept".

The strategy contains more than 80 "actions", which aim to improve the tourism sector in four key areas. These are growing value, addressing supply constraints, improving the visitor experience and ensuring businesses are sustainable.

Mr Conlan said the Northern Territory has experienced problematic supply constraints in the past, which are now starting to be remedied.

He explained that Philippine Airlines and Malaysian Airlines are coming to Darwin, Tiger Air is coming to Alice Springs, and there are plans underway for new accommodation to be built in Darwin.

Australian migration agents may be interested to look at the summary guide of 'Tourism Vision 2020', which contains some advice for small businesses interested in making the most of the opportunities outlined in the strategy.

These include developing new experiences and working with others in the tourism industry to "investigate clustering of products".

All registered migration agents can read more about 'Tourism Vision 2020' here.