Mr KIELY - 2002-08-14
What is the government doing to encourage international tourists back into the Territory after the post-September 11 tourist slump?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. This is great news toady, and it is something I am sure Territorians will agree is good news for the tourism industry. I am pleased to announce today that over the next two years, the Tourist Commission will receive an extra $1m for international marketing to drive more tourists to the Northern Territory, to drive inbound international aviation capacity to the Northern Territory. An additional $500 000 this financial year, and an additional $500 000 next financial year.
This is new money and it is a 10% increase on the marketing budget that was handed down by the previous government. This money will allow an aggressive international marketing campaign to drive those tourists back to the Northern Territory. As we all know, September 11 last year really did have a detrimental impact and, as a government, we reallocated money from the American market to the drive market, and we have seen an excellent drive market this year. It really has been the backbone of the tourism industry this year, and certainly has been well received by all operators to whom I have spoken up and down the track.
That international market is recovering now, and this additional money, this new money - and I confirm to honourable members this is new money; there were no cuts to the marketing budget as a result of the mini-budget. - is going to the heart of our commitment. It is going to be in the budget. This is about jobs for Territorians. As I have said, this is a 10% increase on the previous marketing allocation that was handed down by the member for Katherine when he was tourism minister.
This additional $1m, on all the historical evidence, will drive an additional $12m worth of expenditure in the Northern Territory next financial year. We will be spending that money in Japan, the UK, Europe, America and New Zealand, and cooperatively with those airlines to drive those airlines back to the Northern Territory.
I am really hoping that the shadow tourism minister - I hope by the end of the afternoon - actually gets out there with a ringing endorsement because I have been to the web site this morning and done a bit of research. We still have some press releases from her out there. She should provide a ringing endorsement of this initiative, congratulating the government on backing the tourism industry, and just putting to rest the rumours, innuendoes and scuttlebutt that is being run by the shadow minister. If we go to a press release on 2 July this year: ‘Government will engage in further cuts’.
That was the crystal ball. It is not working very well; it is a bit cloudy over there: ‘Government will engage in further cuts’. Then, again, on 27 June last year called on the minister to justify government’s plans to further cut funding to the tourism industry. We have not cut funding to the Tourist Commission; we are actually increasing it in terms of the marketing allocation.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: ‘Government is gearing to make further major cuts to Northern Territory tourism’. Got it wrong again. Wrong again!
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Going further on: ‘This government is hell bent on further budget cuts to the Tourism Commission. Both the Holiday Centre in Sydney and Territory Discoveries have been targetted’. How wrong!
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Then the other line that was run, the innuendoes, not backing the tourism industry, not supporting the government in the tough times, not supporting the tourism industry, saying we were going to cut funds to the RTAs.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order for a moment, minister. Member for Araluen, would you please refrain from your screaming across the Chamber. I think members of the opposition should not interrupt the minister.
Mr HENDERSON: The innuendoes were going to be run that we were going to gut the RTAs and take the money out of the RTAs. Where was the press release? I am sure that the member for Araluen’s networks in the tourism industry are pretty good - it is a small place, the Northern Territory, and everybody knows everybody - but I held a meeting with all of the chief executive officers and chairs of the RTAs some weeks ago in Darwin and made an absolute commitment not to cut the funding. We are going to work closer in partnership to actually build on the communications, build on the relationships. I did not see a press release from the member for Araluen saying: ‘Good on the government. I take it all back. It is a great initiative’.
This is an extra $0.5m a year - $0.5m, a 10% increase on the previous government. We are backing the tourism industry. We are backing jobs in the Territory and I am really looking forward to the press release from the member for Araluen being up on her web site this afternoon.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. This is great news toady, and it is something I am sure Territorians will agree is good news for the tourism industry. I am pleased to announce today that over the next two years, the Tourist Commission will receive an extra $1m for international marketing to drive more tourists to the Northern Territory, to drive inbound international aviation capacity to the Northern Territory. An additional $500 000 this financial year, and an additional $500 000 next financial year.
This is new money and it is a 10% increase on the marketing budget that was handed down by the previous government. This money will allow an aggressive international marketing campaign to drive those tourists back to the Northern Territory. As we all know, September 11 last year really did have a detrimental impact and, as a government, we reallocated money from the American market to the drive market, and we have seen an excellent drive market this year. It really has been the backbone of the tourism industry this year, and certainly has been well received by all operators to whom I have spoken up and down the track.
That international market is recovering now, and this additional money, this new money - and I confirm to honourable members this is new money; there were no cuts to the marketing budget as a result of the mini-budget. - is going to the heart of our commitment. It is going to be in the budget. This is about jobs for Territorians. As I have said, this is a 10% increase on the previous marketing allocation that was handed down by the member for Katherine when he was tourism minister.
This additional $1m, on all the historical evidence, will drive an additional $12m worth of expenditure in the Northern Territory next financial year. We will be spending that money in Japan, the UK, Europe, America and New Zealand, and cooperatively with those airlines to drive those airlines back to the Northern Territory.
I am really hoping that the shadow tourism minister - I hope by the end of the afternoon - actually gets out there with a ringing endorsement because I have been to the web site this morning and done a bit of research. We still have some press releases from her out there. She should provide a ringing endorsement of this initiative, congratulating the government on backing the tourism industry, and just putting to rest the rumours, innuendoes and scuttlebutt that is being run by the shadow minister. If we go to a press release on 2 July this year: ‘Government will engage in further cuts’.
That was the crystal ball. It is not working very well; it is a bit cloudy over there: ‘Government will engage in further cuts’. Then, again, on 27 June last year called on the minister to justify government’s plans to further cut funding to the tourism industry. We have not cut funding to the Tourist Commission; we are actually increasing it in terms of the marketing allocation.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: ‘Government is gearing to make further major cuts to Northern Territory tourism’. Got it wrong again. Wrong again!
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Going further on: ‘This government is hell bent on further budget cuts to the Tourism Commission. Both the Holiday Centre in Sydney and Territory Discoveries have been targetted’. How wrong!
Ms Carney interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Then the other line that was run, the innuendoes, not backing the tourism industry, not supporting the government in the tough times, not supporting the tourism industry, saying we were going to cut funds to the RTAs.
Ms Carney interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order for a moment, minister. Member for Araluen, would you please refrain from your screaming across the Chamber. I think members of the opposition should not interrupt the minister.
Mr HENDERSON: The innuendoes were going to be run that we were going to gut the RTAs and take the money out of the RTAs. Where was the press release? I am sure that the member for Araluen’s networks in the tourism industry are pretty good - it is a small place, the Northern Territory, and everybody knows everybody - but I held a meeting with all of the chief executive officers and chairs of the RTAs some weeks ago in Darwin and made an absolute commitment not to cut the funding. We are going to work closer in partnership to actually build on the communications, build on the relationships. I did not see a press release from the member for Araluen saying: ‘Good on the government. I take it all back. It is a great initiative’.
This is an extra $0.5m a year - $0.5m, a 10% increase on the previous government. We are backing the tourism industry. We are backing jobs in the Territory and I am really looking forward to the press release from the member for Araluen being up on her web site this afternoon.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016