The Territory’s key Regional Tourism Organisations, Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia will each receive $150,000 in funding from 1 November 2019 to 30 June 2021.

Regional Tourism Organisations are membership-based bodies that provide visitor information services, intra-territory marketing and work with the tourism industry, all levels of government and the community to grow a region’s tourism sector.

The funding supports Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia to continue to deliver the Business Enterprise Development Program, which assists tourism businesses improve their effectiveness in a highly competitive global marketplace.

In addition to delivering the Business Enterprise Development Program to its membership-based associations the funding will also go towards a range of projects, including business enterprise surveys, the annual Tourism: Towards 2030 Conference and the Brolga Northern Territory Tourism Awards.

As part of the funding agreement, Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia will partner with Tourism NT to develop an operator feedback tool to help determine the success of tourism and development support programs as well as provide a regular calendar of workshops to regional operators.

Quotes from Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture Deputy CEO Andrew Hopper:

“An investment in Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia is an investment in industry. Our industry bodies work hard to promote their regions, and this funding will help grow their capacity, and support the many ways they already help operators.

“The Northern Territory Government is helping to grow the tourism sector through its Turbocharging Tourism initiative, which saw the release of the NT’s Tourism Industry Strategy 2030 earlier this month.

“Developed in collaboration with industry the NT’s Tourism Industry Strategy 2030 sets the direction for the next 10 years with the holiday visitor target set between 1.18 million and 1.45 million holiday visitors by 2030, accounting for $1.46 billion to $1.79 billion in holiday visitor expenditure, which translates to a total of 3,900 potential new jobs in the tourism industry by 2030.

“The tourism sector supports a total of 17,100 jobs in the NT as well as thousands of small to medium-sized businesses. Growing the sector will create more jobs in the Territory.

“Through collaboration between Tourism NT, Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia, we can continue to work together to get the best outcomes for tourism Territory-wide, and ensure industry voices are heard from across the sector.”

Quotes from Tourism Top End General Manager Glen Hingley:

“The partnership support of government co-investing with the tourism industry in business enterprise development is beneficial to the future visitor economy of the Northern Territory.

“Tourism Top End is grateful for the partnership support and is matching this with the creation of an Industry Development Manager role, along with related programs such as our Tourism Enhancement Program which is designed to help operators enhance and grow their businesses.” 

Quotes from Tourism Central Australia CEO Stephen Schwer:

“The Business Enterprise program has been extremely useful for visitor economy businesses, and so I am pleased the NT Government have decided to keep it going.”

“The one on one business mentoring has been received very positively, and in a time poor society, this mentoring will become increasingly necessary to help businesses grow.”

Media Contact: Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture – 0428 052 647