Dr BURNS - 2002-10-17
Minister, given that tourism is such an important industry for Bali, can you give a preliminary assessment of the impact on tourism of the Bali bombing, both for Bali and the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have to say, in answer to the question, there was a lot of debate about whether to put this in government’s list of questions today. What I am seeking to do in answering this question is relate to the concern that is coming through the industry, and certainly the shock and horror amongst our tourism industry in the Northern Territory that have such very strong links with the Balinese tourism industry. There are many very strong friendships and many strong relationships between our industry operators and the Balinese industry operators, and these have been forged over many years. Everybody is absolutely devastated by this horrendous event that has killed and maimed so many people. The consequences of this are going to last for a long time.
What I have been very heartened and, I suppose, strengthened by over the last couple of days as I have been speaking to people in Indonesia as well as in Darwin, both in the tourism industry and the broader business community, Territorians who are in Jakarta and Bali, and Territorians who have spent most of their life developing businesses and relationships with Indonesia, their resolve in terms of us working closely with Indonesia to develop those links has only been strengthened.
People are stepping forward and calling for leadership. People believe that, when all of this washes through, the people of Australia and Indonesia and Bali are going to come closer together, and that is very heartening. When I talk to people in Jakarta, Australians are staying there, they are not moving and they are working with their Indonesian colleagues while other countries are vacating the space, so I think our relationship with Indonesia and Bali, ultimately, when we work through all of this, is going to be strengthened. That is certainly the indication that I am receiving from people who have spent so much of their lives working to develop those relationships.
The tourism industry is obviously going to be impacted. Tourism is founded predominantly on traveller confidence and perception, and those things are going to take a long time to recover. For the Balinese people, we can only pray that their situation is going to recover much quicker than it seems as though it will at the moment.
In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack in New York last year, we saw an 8% reduction in terms of inbound tourist numbers into Australia, and it is imminently possible that we will see a further contraction in those numbers as a result of these attacks in Bali.
The Tourist Commission is conducting an assessment on those numbers and putting together risk management strategies in terms of what we will be doing in response. We are also actively monitoring those traveller perceptions in our key source markets of Europe, North America, Asia and Japan, however it is too early to give any definitive assessment. The assessment at the moment is people are still scheduled to come through to Australia, but obviously the Bali leg is not looking too good.
As I have advised the House previously, at the last Tourism Ministers conference I urgently requested that the Australian Tourist Commission work with the states in putting together a risk management strategy for the tourism industry in the event of any further troubles in the Middle East or terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, these events have occurred and there is a lot of work happening with a great degree of urgency now to try and ensure a coordinated response with the ATC and the other states.
In terms of some numbers, last year around 11 000 international visitors to the Northern Territory spent a night in Indonesia prior to travelling to Australia, and around 6000 NT visitors spent a night in Indonesia, then entered Australia through Darwin International Airport. You can see the potential impact on our industry could again be very severe. We have to work with industry to do the best we can through this period.
In terms of aviation issues, 618 international airline seats a week were available into Darwin from Denpasar, and that is about 36% of the total aviation capacity. I have been speaking at length with Qantas and Garuda executive officers, and will continue to work with those airlines and look at rescheduling routes.
We have to call it as we see it: there is going to be a downturn which is the last thing we need at the moment.
I have asked the Tourist Commission to urgently brief the Regional Tourism Associations in terms of what work we are doing on risk management strategies. That is going to be happening next week across the Territory.
I have been asked, on behalf of the tourism industry in the Northern Territory, to again convey their deepest outrage and sympathy to all of their colleagues in Indonesia and Bali who they have worked with for so many years; and their absolute assurance that that friendship will continue. They will continue to work with their business colleagues and friends in Bali and Indonesia. We, as a government, and this House, totally support them in doing that, and we will do all we can.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I have to say, in answer to the question, there was a lot of debate about whether to put this in government’s list of questions today. What I am seeking to do in answering this question is relate to the concern that is coming through the industry, and certainly the shock and horror amongst our tourism industry in the Northern Territory that have such very strong links with the Balinese tourism industry. There are many very strong friendships and many strong relationships between our industry operators and the Balinese industry operators, and these have been forged over many years. Everybody is absolutely devastated by this horrendous event that has killed and maimed so many people. The consequences of this are going to last for a long time.
What I have been very heartened and, I suppose, strengthened by over the last couple of days as I have been speaking to people in Indonesia as well as in Darwin, both in the tourism industry and the broader business community, Territorians who are in Jakarta and Bali, and Territorians who have spent most of their life developing businesses and relationships with Indonesia, their resolve in terms of us working closely with Indonesia to develop those links has only been strengthened.
People are stepping forward and calling for leadership. People believe that, when all of this washes through, the people of Australia and Indonesia and Bali are going to come closer together, and that is very heartening. When I talk to people in Jakarta, Australians are staying there, they are not moving and they are working with their Indonesian colleagues while other countries are vacating the space, so I think our relationship with Indonesia and Bali, ultimately, when we work through all of this, is going to be strengthened. That is certainly the indication that I am receiving from people who have spent so much of their lives working to develop those relationships.
The tourism industry is obviously going to be impacted. Tourism is founded predominantly on traveller confidence and perception, and those things are going to take a long time to recover. For the Balinese people, we can only pray that their situation is going to recover much quicker than it seems as though it will at the moment.
In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack in New York last year, we saw an 8% reduction in terms of inbound tourist numbers into Australia, and it is imminently possible that we will see a further contraction in those numbers as a result of these attacks in Bali.
The Tourist Commission is conducting an assessment on those numbers and putting together risk management strategies in terms of what we will be doing in response. We are also actively monitoring those traveller perceptions in our key source markets of Europe, North America, Asia and Japan, however it is too early to give any definitive assessment. The assessment at the moment is people are still scheduled to come through to Australia, but obviously the Bali leg is not looking too good.
As I have advised the House previously, at the last Tourism Ministers conference I urgently requested that the Australian Tourist Commission work with the states in putting together a risk management strategy for the tourism industry in the event of any further troubles in the Middle East or terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, these events have occurred and there is a lot of work happening with a great degree of urgency now to try and ensure a coordinated response with the ATC and the other states.
In terms of some numbers, last year around 11 000 international visitors to the Northern Territory spent a night in Indonesia prior to travelling to Australia, and around 6000 NT visitors spent a night in Indonesia, then entered Australia through Darwin International Airport. You can see the potential impact on our industry could again be very severe. We have to work with industry to do the best we can through this period.
In terms of aviation issues, 618 international airline seats a week were available into Darwin from Denpasar, and that is about 36% of the total aviation capacity. I have been speaking at length with Qantas and Garuda executive officers, and will continue to work with those airlines and look at rescheduling routes.
We have to call it as we see it: there is going to be a downturn which is the last thing we need at the moment.
I have asked the Tourist Commission to urgently brief the Regional Tourism Associations in terms of what work we are doing on risk management strategies. That is going to be happening next week across the Territory.
I have been asked, on behalf of the tourism industry in the Northern Territory, to again convey their deepest outrage and sympathy to all of their colleagues in Indonesia and Bali who they have worked with for so many years; and their absolute assurance that that friendship will continue. They will continue to work with their business colleagues and friends in Bali and Indonesia. We, as a government, and this House, totally support them in doing that, and we will do all we can.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016