Alice Springs News
Northern Territory Government Ignores Alice Springs
The Northern Territory Government has again been exposed as treating Alice Springs as a second class citizen.
“I have discovered that the official NT Government website Territory Discoveries can’t take direct flight bookings into Alice Springs,” says Matt Conlan, Shadow Minister for Central Australia.
In the recent budget the Minister for Tourism, Kon Vatskalis, announced $2 million for online marketing, including enhancements to TourismNT’s business tourism website to meet demand in support of the Darwin and Alice Springs Convention Centres.
“I welcome that money but am particularly disappointed that it is impossible to book a flight to Alice Springs on the Territory Discoveries website,” says Matt Conlan.
“The only destination offered by Territory Discoveries under the Flight and Hotel booking service is for Darwin.
“That puts Alice Springs at a direct disadvantage with Darwin in the race to attract tourists.
“I’ve no doubt that the greater ease of booking a holiday in the Top End through the Territory Discoveries web site works against people choosing to travel to Alice and Central Australia.
“Back in 2005 the then Chief Minister, Clare Martin, was extolling the virtues of the website she noted there ‘has been the significant increase in visits to the Territory Discoveries website, up from 45,949 in 2003/04 to 105,986 in 2004/05.’
“That figure would be considerably higher today, so it’s critical the marketing advantage currently enjoyed by Darwin is rectified immediately.
“After all, it’s not as if Alice Springs isn’t serviced by regular flights.”
Editor: Of course, once the Country Liberals get back into office, all this will change.
2008-10-25
