Tourism inquiry visits the Northern Territory

PARLIAMENT’s Northern Australia Committee will hold public hearings in the Northern Territory on Sunday 23 July, Monday 24 July, and Thursday 27 July 2017 at Yulara, Alice Springs, and Darwin as part of its inquiry into Opportunities and Methods for Stimulating the Tourism Industry in Northern Australia.

The Northern Territory is home to three of the most well-known tourism icons in the world—Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park, Kakadu National Park, and Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge). The Territory has many other attractions and a wealth of untapped tourism potential. The Committee will hear evidence from the Northern Territory Government, a range of tourism operators, national parks officials, and traditional owners.

The Committee Chair, Warren Entsch MP, said Northern Australia has many places with great tourism potential, but which are generally unknown to the travelling public.

“As the bitumen rolls out on many of the northern roads, drive tourists will follow, eager to experience the beauty of Northern Australia,” he said.  

“The Committee has learned that cultural tourism is high on the wish list of many international tourists, but there is relatively little on offer when they arrive.

“While much effort is spent on promoting Australia’s tourism icons to the world, there needs to be a corresponding emphasis on developing new tourism businesses especially in cultural tourism and especially in regional and remote Australia,” Mr Entsch said.

 

Public hearing details:

3:15 pm to 5:45 pm, Sunday 23 July, Wanari Room, Uluru Meeting Place (adjacent to Sails in the Desert Hotel), Yulara Drive, Yulara

1:00 pm to 4:45 pm, Monday 24 July, Andy McNeill Room, Civic Centre Complex, 93 Todd Street, Alice Springs

8:00 am to 3:20 pm, Thursday 27 July, Litchfield Room, NT Legislative Assembly, Mitchell Street, Darwin

The hearing will be broadcast live  (audio only) at aph.gov.au/live

The hearing program and further information about the Committee’s inquiry, including submissions and the terms of reference, is available on the Committee’s website: www.aph.gov.au/jscna.

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