Mr BONSON - 2005-08-25
The Northern Territory Tourist Commission is currently working with Lonely Planet to attract the independent traveller market to the Northern Territory. Can you give the House some details on this initiative?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a good question. The backpacker and independent traveller market is important for the Northern Territory. It has been a tough market since September 2001. As fuel prices rise, with travel, and the flow-on from those world events that have impacted on the backpacker independent traveller market, it has been tough, not only for the Northern Territory but for the rest of Australia as well.
Earlier this year, we partnered with South Australia and Western Australia to commission Lonely Planet to produce a mini-guide for this part of the world. It is really to entice travellers that do end up in the eastern seaboard to come north and west, so to come to South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a very good way to do that, through Lonely Planet.
Lonely Planet has a great reputation. It really is seen as the traveller’s bible. Virtually, if Lonely Planet says it is okay to do, then it is okay to do. The guide is a small one. Often, Lonely Planet guides are very big. Having travelled with Lonely Planet many times, often they are this thick and they are difficult to carry with you. This one is pocket-sized, and very effective, and is called ‘Journeys to Authentic Australia – Travel Beyond your Expectations’. If you note the front cover, it depicts Rainbow Valley. It is a very useful little guide. It is very positive about all parts of the Northern Territory.
The Leader of Government Business was reminding me how there was a Lonely Planet guide a few years ago that was not particularly complimentary about Darwin. Let me say, this one sings the praises of Darwin. If you talk to any traveller in Darwin at the moment, they just love the experience.
Seventy per cent of those independent and backpacker travellers do rely on guides like Lonely Planet, so it is a good targeted guide. We have had 100 000 copies produced for distribution throughout our sourced backpacker independent traveller market, which is the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy and France. We also have additional distribution, particularly in somewhereplaces like Sydney, where those travellers first comearrive toin Australia. Importantly, Madam Speaker, the guide is a free. It is a free little publication.
To further build on this publication, next month, one of Lonely Planet’s leading experts on travel trends will be coming to the Northern Territory to talk to local operators about what they see as the current independent traveller backpacker youth market,. and I would certainly encourage all of our local operators to attend the – there will be workshops, which will be held both in Darwin and Alice Springs – to attend them. It is an important part of our market. It has struggled over the last few years and this is one of the ways we are going to rebuild.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is a good question. The backpacker and independent traveller market is important for the Northern Territory. It has been a tough market since September 2001. As fuel prices rise, with travel, and the flow-on from those world events that have impacted on the backpacker independent traveller market, it has been tough, not only for the Northern Territory but for the rest of Australia as well.
Earlier this year, we partnered with South Australia and Western Australia to commission Lonely Planet to produce a mini-guide for this part of the world. It is really to entice travellers that do end up in the eastern seaboard to come north and west, so to come to South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a very good way to do that, through Lonely Planet.
Lonely Planet has a great reputation. It really is seen as the traveller’s bible. Virtually, if Lonely Planet says it is okay to do, then it is okay to do. The guide is a small one. Often, Lonely Planet guides are very big. Having travelled with Lonely Planet many times, often they are this thick and they are difficult to carry with you. This one is pocket-sized, and very effective, and is called ‘Journeys to Authentic Australia – Travel Beyond your Expectations’. If you note the front cover, it depicts Rainbow Valley. It is a very useful little guide. It is very positive about all parts of the Northern Territory.
The Leader of Government Business was reminding me how there was a Lonely Planet guide a few years ago that was not particularly complimentary about Darwin. Let me say, this one sings the praises of Darwin. If you talk to any traveller in Darwin at the moment, they just love the experience.
Seventy per cent of those independent and backpacker travellers do rely on guides like Lonely Planet, so it is a good targeted guide. We have had 100 000 copies produced for distribution throughout our sourced backpacker independent traveller market, which is the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy and France. We also have additional distribution, particularly in somewhereplaces like Sydney, where those travellers first comearrive toin Australia. Importantly, Madam Speaker, the guide is a free. It is a free little publication.
To further build on this publication, next month, one of Lonely Planet’s leading experts on travel trends will be coming to the Northern Territory to talk to local operators about what they see as the current independent traveller backpacker youth market,. and I would certainly encourage all of our local operators to attend the – there will be workshops, which will be held both in Darwin and Alice Springs – to attend them. It is an important part of our market. It has struggled over the last few years and this is one of the ways we are going to rebuild.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016