1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,200 Speaker 1: We know that the launch of a four day conference 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: has just finished at the Novtel on the Esplanade Well 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: on all Things Tourism and Hospitality. Destination INT brings together 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: key events to celebrate, grow and strengthen the Nties visitor economy. 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 1: It's going to finish with the celebration of industry excellence 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: at the twenty twenty five Brolger Northern Territory Awards, and 7 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: the Tourism Minister Mary Clare Boothby joins me on the line. 8 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: Good morning to your minister. 9 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie and to your listeners. 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: Now tell me how how did things go this morning? 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: Of course, first off with this launch and how is 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: this conference going to be different to other tourism conferences 13 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: that we've seen. 14 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, I've just stepped out of the conference. Actually 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: they are still going, just for a bit longer this morning. 16 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 2: But yeah, this basically is different because for the first 17 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: time we listened to industry who wanted to have the 18 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 2: almost week long conference, you know, all the one time, 19 00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: rather than being spread out over the year. And of 20 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: course we're on the back of a really strong dry 21 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 2: season that we've had, but we've also had the sort 22 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: of shoulder season, the off peak, continuing to bring visitors 23 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 2: to the Northern Territory and continuing to see them spend here. 24 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 2: And of course this allows for us to launch our 25 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 2: Visitor Economy Strategy, which is exactly what I've just done 26 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: this morning at the conference, and it's bringing the whole 27 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: industry together. I mean, you met listeners may remember that 28 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 2: when we first came to government, we put together under 29 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 2: the one roof, you know, parks and wildlife and tourism 30 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 2: and hospitality. Of course I'm the Minister for racing as 31 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: well and major events. And we've taken it a step 32 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: further and we're actually merging tourism and major events together. 33 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: And so this Visitor Economy Strategy looks at not just 34 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: tourism or not just major events, but the visitors as 35 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: a whole coming together. And we really wanted to make 36 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: sure the industry were the ones that led the act 37 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: that came out of the Visitor Economy Strategy, and so 38 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: today is all about starting off to talk about that 39 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: even further, I guess because they've already been out talking 40 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: about this for a number of month, visiting all the 41 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: regions to get the feedback about what the industry is 42 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: looking for and. 43 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: Minister, I mean when you look at this strategy, so 44 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Visitor Economy Strategy twenty thirty two, how 45 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: might we do things a bit differently or how bold 46 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: are we going to be, you know, thinking here in 47 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: terms of what we could do to really try to 48 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: increase the tourism numbers. 49 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and we are being quite bold, especially if we 50 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 2: compare ourselves to other jurisdictions around the country. Katie. We're 51 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: going to grow the visitor economy from one point five 52 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: billion dollars of spending to two point two billion dollars 53 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: over that seven years. It is quite bold. But because 54 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 2: we are working in collaboration across the industry of tourism, events, 55 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 2: you know, and hospitality and of course racing. We know 56 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,399 Speaker 2: that people come to the Northern Territory for a lot 57 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: of different reasons. And those reasons are not just leisure anymore. 58 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 2: Like they include things like events and business and study, culture, adventure, 59 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 2: you know, all these reasons that bring people here, and 60 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 2: we want everybody working together to leverage I guess the 61 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: best bang for buck. You know, we've only got limited resources, 62 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 2: and if we come together and you know, market those 63 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: things and sell those things collectively, then we can actually 64 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 2: get them to not stay a bit longer or you know, 65 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 2: just travel around a bit further. But we see that 66 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 2: it's a very realistic goal to be able to achieve. 67 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: I mean, one point five billion to two point two 68 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: billion dollars. It's a huge amount of money. You know, 69 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: is it just doing things a little bit better or 70 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: do we need to look at sort of you know, 71 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: introducing some new tourism attractions as well. 72 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think one of the things that in industry 73 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 2: told us really loud and clear during the consultation we've 74 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 2: done around this is that there's a lot of things 75 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: that make us very different in the Northern Territory and 76 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: the reasons why people come. And one of those things 77 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: is our territory spirit. And so that's the characters if 78 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: you like, of all those, you know, the tool operator 79 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 2: that's got quite a strong character that allows people to 80 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 2: remember that for a lifetime as an example. But it 81 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 2: also highlighted the need for that, you know, investment in infrastructure, 82 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 2: investment in our workforce, investment in the access sorry the 83 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 2: access and the innovation and the technology that is needed. 84 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: And that's why it's so important that we all work 85 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 2: together on doing this because government alone can't do something, 86 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: industry alone can't do something, but together we're actually a 87 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: really great force to be reckoned with. And so with 88 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 2: the merging of those two powerhouse entities, with the staff 89 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 2: in the department focusing, we've got a new stay sorry, 90 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: new chief marketing officer in Stacy Melman. She's come over 91 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: from the USA. Her role is to get to know 92 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 2: the tourism and products of the industry and to drive 93 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,679 Speaker 2: visitation in those shoulder and off peaks tourism seasons because 94 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 2: that's where we can leverage the most. I mean, we 95 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 2: know that we love living here during that time. We've 96 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: got so much to offer, and we know that our 97 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 2: visitors can explore and love that too, But we just 98 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 2: have to show them what we have and get them 99 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: to come here for those reasons as well, like what. 100 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: About somewhere like Silkwood that we spoke about earlier in 101 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: the year, you know, the government acquiring silkwood and looking 102 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: at that, you know, to mountain bike, to four wheel drive, 103 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: to do those adventurous things that we all love doing 104 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, but potentially try to get more 105 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: people here to. 106 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 2: Do it exactly, and we know that's part of one 107 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 2: of the reasons that people come to visit the territory. 108 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: I mean Stilkwood as an example. It's a really rugged 109 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 2: sort of landscape and like you say, the mountain bikers 110 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 2: and the full war Drive is just a perfect lo 111 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 2: pation for not only locals but visitors to go out 112 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 2: and explore. And so we did purchase that a number 113 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: of months ago now and the work just to make 114 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 2: sure that we can keep that going. And I guess, 115 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 2: look at some what investment needs to go in there 116 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 2: to be able to make it where it's you know, 117 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 2: the signage or if it's clearing or some sort of 118 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 2: weed management, whatever it is, it needs to be done 119 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 2: to make sure that when our visitors come, they are 120 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: directed in that way and then they go out and explore. 121 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: And I think it's certainly one of the things that 122 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 2: makes us very unique compared to the rest of the world. 123 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: And the other thing Katie is I might add is 124 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 2: that the more people who are discovering the Northern Territory 125 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 2: as a special place also converts to people who want 126 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 2: to end up living here. You know, you get that 127 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 2: experience and it gets under your skin. And people just 128 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 2: don't want to leave, which is exactly what we want. 129 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: Well, we can only hope Minister before I let you go, 130 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: you are indeed the Minister for racing as well. Who 131 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: were your tips for the Melbourne Cup today? 132 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, I forgot that you may actually ask 133 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 2: me about that. I'm up to the racers very shortly 134 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 2: and I need to get the form guide out. I 135 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: guess if any of your listeners have a tip for me, 136 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 2: let me know. 137 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: Well, I can give you a couple. You know, I'm 138 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: having a look at right now because we just caught 139 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: up with thoroughbred racing into CEO, and we know that 140 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: we've got an Alice Springs will a former Alice Springs boy, 141 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: Ethan Brown on number seven Middle Earth, so he's worth 142 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: having a look at. But then we've also got a 143 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: couple of ladies racing as well. Half yours is meant 144 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: to be a fairly good one. Number fourteen, that's Jamie Melman. 145 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: And then I did get told there was another female 146 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: jockey as well, So look, miss Rachel King. By the 147 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: look of us, number three, there's a few, but I'll 148 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: let you do your own homework. 149 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 2: Oh look, I really want to go go for the 150 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: Alice Springs one I know, to go for our locals. 151 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: I will say though the Mayor of Catherine was gloating 152 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: a little bit earlier because she's had two we had 153 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: two of the territorians recognized over in the Australian of 154 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: the Year for the Northern Territory Awards from Catherine and 155 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: she said, just based on the name, she was going 156 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: to go with River of Stars because she felt like 157 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: that reflected for Catherine. 158 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 2: I tell you what, Catherine's been doing very well. They 159 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 2: also won a number of the bowls at the lux Effectival, 160 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 2: so they really are stepping it up over there and 161 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: Catherine loving it. Yeah. 162 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: No, it's good. I love to see that regional pride well. 163 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,119 Speaker 1: Minister of Tourism, Mary Clare Booby, really good to speak 164 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: with you this morning. I appreciate your. 165 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 2: Time, no word. I hope you're back a winner.