Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We know that we've seen the many tourists in the
Northern territory. You know, we've still seen plenty of tourists
in the Northern Territory over recent months. But data from
Tourism Research Australia has been released and the National Visitor
Survey results for the twelve months leading up to June
have shown that overnight stays in key outback regions have
fallen dramatically.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Joining me in this studio this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
To talk about this, but also to talk more about
how those tourism vouchers are going and how things are
going more generally in the top end. It is Tourism
top Ends general manager. Let me make sure I've got
that microphone on.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Sam Bennett, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
To you, min In Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Lovely to have you in the studio. Thanks so much
for your time. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Now, looking at these these numbers that have just come out,
it's saying that the number of overnight stays in Darwin
have have dropped by two hundred and thirty one thousand nights.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
How are things going from your perspective.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Look, the tourism industry is doing a little bit tough,
farther than it has more than we anticipated or expected,
but there's lots of factors about that. So it is
very much around cost of living. You know, budgets in
households are decreasing. There's a lot less.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Disposable income and set.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Therefore people stop doing things and focus more on paying
their rent and their electricity and their grocery bills. When
they are traveling. They are traveling, but they are staying
for shorter periods, and we do. We are seeing the
same amount of people through our door in the visit
of Information Center, but they are spending. They are spending
(01:39):
the same amount of money. It's costing more to do things.
It's the cost of doing business that's impacting those two
coming together right now. We're paying more for our rents
in our businesses, especially in the CBD area. We're paying
more for our insurance by far if we can get
insured at all in the North part of Australia, and
(02:02):
we're also we've got we're paying more in wages. People
only want to work thirty eight hour weeks. I don't
want to work a forty five hour week anymore. So
there's lots of things that are contributing to this, but
it is mostly around that cost of living pressure, and
you think it like when you talk cost of living,
you often talk about like your groceries, you know, the
cost of petrol, you've rent all that kind of thing.
(02:23):
But then you know the services that you're going to
that you ordinarily might have paid fifty bucks for, you're
now paying you know, a substantial amount more in some cases.
And you can understand why because for a lot of
those businesses, the cost of being.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Able to operate is increasing for various different reasons.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So the onflow is enormous.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
So where we used to see them stay for five days,
we're seeing them stay for three days. They're not adding
on to their business travelers much. They're coming doing what
they need to do, and they're going. There is also
a decrease in the amount of product being booked because
it's costing more to book it. So rather than doing
(03:05):
all three attractions in the city, crosaus Cove are fds.
You know, they'll do one or they'll do two, but
they won't do three because it's costing. They've got budgets,
and so we can see that reflecting in the in
the we can see that happening for our visitation in
certain areas. I think the biggest affected is our overland
(03:29):
travel stuff, which is our tour guides in a mini
bars or a single vehicle going into Litchfield, really competitive space.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
There's a lot of operators there.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
It's price price sensitive, and there's less people doing that
because that depends on the fly and market.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
The self drive will drive themselves to Litchfield.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah. So I mean even on the weekend I was
you know, I was down at the wharf with the kids.
They were having a fish. There was an enormous amount
of people around. There was lots it appeared as though
there was lots of tourists. You know, there's plenty of people.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So I do wonder what kind of impact do some
of those different events and attractions that we have in
dah And at different times have in terms of our
tourism visitation. You know, things like Base in the Grass,
things like those, you know, some of those big events
that we have here in that event tourism, Does it
have a positive impact.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Absolutely? They underpin our industry.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Now what people will visit for, That's why they'll choose
this destination. It's an expensive destination from many factors, but
they'll choose it to do a special event and then
they'll stay and spend money, so they really dopin all
of tourism and it's very important that we continue to
have those events because that's why they'll come rather than
(04:47):
going to Bali or Fiji.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So we spoke about, you know, that cost of living.
One area that we see the cost of living so
bloody high, and I know it's for a lot of
us it is a bit of a luxury, but it's
the cost of flights. Does that have a big impact
as well in terms of our visitation numbers?
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Absolutely yes, And there's a number of factors why the
cost of flights are so high. But we we work
really closely with Far North Queensland and also Wa and
the Kimberleese and these o regional areas, and so cost
of flights to here are very expensive. There's lack of
(05:24):
capacity or the capacity that's available is in the middle
of the night, and people don't want to fly that
when they're on holidays.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Well, especially if you've got little kids too, which I
know a lot of people do. It becomes like it's
almost a bit of an impediment trying to you know,
catch a flight at one in the morning and you're thinking,
oh god, how am I going to wake up with
a child that's been winging and crying all night?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I think the other thing is is then they also
have to include an extra day's accommodation and all of
those sort of things, because where are they going to
go at two o'clock in the morning. So yeah, those
you know, the cost of flights is hurting all of
Northern Australia, but particularly Yep.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Now are there different locations that have still been really
quite popular.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, Look, I think Leachfield is really popular.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I mean we are the gateway to some of the
great national and territory parks. Catherine is doing okay, you
know some of those nit Maluk particularly is doing really well.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
It's a great product.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
They're developing more walking trails there.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
You know, they've got more.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Crews boats on the Gorge, so they're doing really well.
It's around those other areas that there's a bit of
a drawback. So you know, where they used to, like
I said, where they would stay three nights, they might
only do it in two yep, and there's less people
doing it touring. It's more of the drive market, and
(06:49):
you know people are retiring older, so the gray nomad
there's a bit of a lag there in that as well.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
What about those vouchers, how are they going, you know,
to try and get us moving around and try and
get us going to do different places. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Look, that's a fantastic way to incentivize locals to get
out and explore their backyard because it's expensive to fly here,
but it's also expensive to fly out, so it would
be really great. We're working really closely with hospitality. We're
trying to find products and package people together to do
what Territorians really want to do.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
So yeah, we're really excited at the opportunity. Travel date
is it's open for booking now, but travel dates are
first of January to the thirty first of March.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
That's because we know.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
People are already doing things earlier in this like in
this part of the season in December, and we want
it to actually be a benefit for territorians. But it
does include a big chunk of those school holidays.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
And so with have you with those vouchers, have you
seen an increase in bookings?
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Absolutely yeap, especially around accommodation regional accommodation dundee yep, going
on well.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yea, you know, even over the cru period, I was like, oh,
that's a good place to go. Absolutely, it is a
good spot to head out to and you know, and
hopefully get things moving for them out there as well.
Somebody is good when locals are visiting those local locations.
Now in terms of I mean when you look at
those numbers, for example, that you know that have been
released from Tourism Research Australia, do you use those much,
(08:22):
you know, for long term planning or to look at
how you might try to get things moving in different areas.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I guess we all know what the issues are. We
know that.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
You know, over recent years we've had issues with crime
and continue to.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
We know the cost of living is really high.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
We know those flight bookings are difficult to make sometimes
for different reasons including cost. But do you use those
numbers in any way to sort of modify how you
might do things down the track or do you all
look at the local data that.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
You get each and every day.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
I think from tourism top ends space we mostly look
at the Northern Territory and what that data looks like
for us because that tells our story, yep, But the
tourism story, the research Australia story, tells a broader story.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
And what it tells us is that's actually happening everywhere,
it's not just here.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
So it kind of gives us a bit of a
guide as to you know, it does help with marketing
strategies and things like that, where's our target markets?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You know, if they don't know about us, how are
they going to visit us?
Speaker 4 (09:21):
So yeah, it does guide us to some degree, but
it also gives us.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Some comfort to know that we're not in this alone.
It's all of Australia. In fact, it's all of the world.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah. Yeah, it's tough when that cost of living goes up.
I guess people do have to make some tougher decisions
about where they travel or what they decide to do,
and for what reasons.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, The very first thing that happens in a cost
of living pressure is that consumer facing thing is the retail,
the hospitality and the tourism. They're the first things that
people need to drop, you know, and.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
It's a shame because it's all the stuff we want
to do, right exactly, Well, Sam Bennett tourism top ends.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
General manager, lovely to speak with you this morning. Thank
you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Thanks Katie,
We know that we've seen the many tourists in the
Northern territory. You know, we've still seen plenty of tourists
in the Northern Territory over recent months. But data from
Tourism Research Australia has been released and the National Visitor
Survey results for the twelve months leading up to June
have shown that overnight stays in key outback regions have
fallen dramatically.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Joining me in this studio this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
To talk about this, but also to talk more about
how those tourism vouchers are going and how things are
going more generally in the top end. It is Tourism
top Ends general manager. Let me make sure I've got
that microphone on.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Sam Bennett, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
To you, min In Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Lovely to have you in the studio. Thanks so much
for your time. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Now, looking at these these numbers that have just come out,
it's saying that the number of overnight stays in Darwin
have have dropped by two hundred and thirty one thousand nights.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
How are things going from your perspective.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Look, the tourism industry is doing a little bit tough,
farther than it has more than we anticipated or expected,
but there's lots of factors about that. So it is
very much around cost of living. You know, budgets in
households are decreasing. There's a lot less.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Disposable income and set.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Therefore people stop doing things and focus more on paying
their rent and their electricity and their grocery bills. When
they are traveling. They are traveling, but they are staying
for shorter periods, and we do. We are seeing the
same amount of people through our door in the visit
of Information Center, but they are spending. They are spending
(01:39):
the same amount of money. It's costing more to do things.
It's the cost of doing business that's impacting those two
coming together right now. We're paying more for our rents
in our businesses, especially in the CBD area. We're paying
more for our insurance by far if we can get
insured at all in the North part of Australia, and
(02:02):
we're also we've got we're paying more in wages. People
only want to work thirty eight hour weeks. I don't
want to work a forty five hour week anymore. So
there's lots of things that are contributing to this, but
it is mostly around that cost of living pressure, and
you think it like when you talk cost of living,
you often talk about like your groceries, you know, the
cost of petrol, you've rent all that kind of thing.
(02:23):
But then you know the services that you're going to
that you ordinarily might have paid fifty bucks for, you're
now paying you know, a substantial amount more in some cases.
And you can understand why because for a lot of
those businesses, the cost of being.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Able to operate is increasing for various different reasons.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So the onflow is enormous.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
So where we used to see them stay for five days,
we're seeing them stay for three days. They're not adding
on to their business travelers much. They're coming doing what
they need to do, and they're going. There is also
a decrease in the amount of product being booked because
it's costing more to book it. So rather than doing
(03:05):
all three attractions in the city, crosaus Cove are fds.
You know, they'll do one or they'll do two, but
they won't do three because it's costing. They've got budgets,
and so we can see that reflecting in the in
the we can see that happening for our visitation in
certain areas. I think the biggest affected is our overland
(03:29):
travel stuff, which is our tour guides in a mini
bars or a single vehicle going into Litchfield, really competitive space.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
There's a lot of operators there.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
It's price price sensitive, and there's less people doing that
because that depends on the fly and market.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
The self drive will drive themselves to Litchfield.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah. So I mean even on the weekend I was
you know, I was down at the wharf with the kids.
They were having a fish. There was an enormous amount
of people around. There was lots it appeared as though
there was lots of tourists. You know, there's plenty of people.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So I do wonder what kind of impact do some
of those different events and attractions that we have in
dah And at different times have in terms of our
tourism visitation. You know, things like Base in the Grass,
things like those, you know, some of those big events
that we have here in that event tourism, Does it
have a positive impact.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Absolutely? They underpin our industry.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Now what people will visit for, That's why they'll choose
this destination. It's an expensive destination from many factors, but
they'll choose it to do a special event and then
they'll stay and spend money, so they really dopin all
of tourism and it's very important that we continue to
have those events because that's why they'll come rather than
(04:47):
going to Bali or Fiji.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So we spoke about, you know, that cost of living.
One area that we see the cost of living so
bloody high, and I know it's for a lot of
us it is a bit of a luxury, but it's
the cost of flights. Does that have a big impact
as well in terms of our visitation numbers?
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Absolutely yes, And there's a number of factors why the
cost of flights are so high. But we we work
really closely with Far North Queensland and also Wa and
the Kimberleese and these o regional areas, and so cost
of flights to here are very expensive. There's lack of
(05:24):
capacity or the capacity that's available is in the middle
of the night, and people don't want to fly that
when they're on holidays.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Well, especially if you've got little kids too, which I
know a lot of people do. It becomes like it's
almost a bit of an impediment trying to you know,
catch a flight at one in the morning and you're thinking,
oh god, how am I going to wake up with
a child that's been winging and crying all night?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I think the other thing is is then they also
have to include an extra day's accommodation and all of
those sort of things, because where are they going to
go at two o'clock in the morning. So yeah, those
you know, the cost of flights is hurting all of
Northern Australia, but particularly Yep.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Now are there different locations that have still been really
quite popular.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, Look, I think Leachfield is really popular.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I mean we are the gateway to some of the
great national and territory parks. Catherine is doing okay, you
know some of those nit Maluk particularly is doing really well.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
It's a great product.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
They're developing more walking trails there.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
You know, they've got more.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Crews boats on the Gorge, so they're doing really well.
It's around those other areas that there's a bit of
a drawback. So you know, where they used to, like
I said, where they would stay three nights, they might
only do it in two yep, and there's less people
doing it touring. It's more of the drive market, and
(06:49):
you know people are retiring older, so the gray nomad
there's a bit of a lag there in that as well.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
What about those vouchers, how are they going, you know,
to try and get us moving around and try and
get us going to do different places. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Look, that's a fantastic way to incentivize locals to get
out and explore their backyard because it's expensive to fly here,
but it's also expensive to fly out, so it would
be really great. We're working really closely with hospitality. We're
trying to find products and package people together to do
what Territorians really want to do.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
So yeah, we're really excited at the opportunity. Travel date
is it's open for booking now, but travel dates are
first of January to the thirty first of March.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
That's because we know.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
People are already doing things earlier in this like in
this part of the season in December, and we want
it to actually be a benefit for territorians. But it
does include a big chunk of those school holidays.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
And so with have you with those vouchers, have you
seen an increase in bookings?
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Absolutely yeap, especially around accommodation regional accommodation dundee yep, going
on well.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yea, you know, even over the cru period, I was like, oh,
that's a good place to go. Absolutely, it is a
good spot to head out to and you know, and
hopefully get things moving for them out there as well.
Somebody is good when locals are visiting those local locations.
Now in terms of I mean when you look at
those numbers, for example, that you know that have been
released from Tourism Research Australia, do you use those much,
(08:22):
you know, for long term planning or to look at
how you might try to get things moving in different areas.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I guess we all know what the issues are. We
know that.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
You know, over recent years we've had issues with crime
and continue to.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
We know the cost of living is really high.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
We know those flight bookings are difficult to make sometimes
for different reasons including cost. But do you use those
numbers in any way to sort of modify how you
might do things down the track or do you all
look at the local data that.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
You get each and every day.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
I think from tourism top ends space we mostly look
at the Northern Territory and what that data looks like
for us because that tells our story, yep, But the
tourism story, the research Australia story, tells a broader story.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
And what it tells us is that's actually happening everywhere,
it's not just here.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
So it kind of gives us a bit of a
guide as to you know, it does help with marketing
strategies and things like that, where's our target markets?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
You know, if they don't know about us, how are
they going to visit us?
Speaker 4 (09:21):
So yeah, it does guide us to some degree, but
it also gives us.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Some comfort to know that we're not in this alone.
It's all of Australia. In fact, it's all of the world.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah. Yeah, it's tough when that cost of living goes up.
I guess people do have to make some tougher decisions
about where they travel or what they decide to do,
and for what reasons.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, The very first thing that happens in a cost
of living pressure is that consumer facing thing is the retail,
the hospitality and the tourism. They're the first things that
people need to drop, you know, and.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
It's a shame because it's all the stuff we want
to do, right exactly, Well, Sam Bennett tourism top ends.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
General manager, lovely to speak with you this morning. Thank
you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Thanks Katie,
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