1
00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,440
Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.

2
00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,440
Speaker 1: You are our eyes and ears in the territory mixed

3
00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:08,640
Speaker 1: one oh four point nine.

4
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,520
Speaker 2: Well, did you have a crack at booking flights last

5
00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,240
Speaker 2: night half priced flights or early this morning? I'm just

6
00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,040
Speaker 2: on the jet Style website now I'll have a look

7
00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,400
Speaker 2: at the quantus one shortly, not to actually book any

8
00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,160
Speaker 2: but just to see whether this process is in fact

9
00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,560
Speaker 2: easy or not. And and well whether you can just

10
00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,680
Speaker 2: sort of find those half priced flights quite easily. But

11
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:30,600
Speaker 2: joining us on the line to talk a bit more

12
00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,760
Speaker 2: about this and how we're going tourism wise. Firstly, Tourism

13
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:40,559
Speaker 2: Central Australia CEO Daniel Rochford. Good morning to you, Daniel.

14
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,320
Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, and good morning to you listeners.

15
00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,920
Speaker 2: Daniel, how did things go well last night and also

16
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,360
Speaker 2: this morning with these half priced fares?

17
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:50,600
Speaker 1: Have you had much feedback?

18
00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,440
Speaker 4: Look, certainly a lot of buzz out there are many

19
00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,960
Speaker 4: of our operators here in Central Australia have been communicating

20
00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,520
Speaker 4: out to the data saying that he's the opportunity to.

21
00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,240
Speaker 3: Take advantage of coming to the Red Center. And yes,

22
00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,600
Speaker 3: certainly a lot of buzz and.

23
00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,959
Speaker 2: I mean, has it been as easy as what people

24
00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,040
Speaker 2: were hoping? Yeah?

25
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 3: Look, I honestly I went onto the Quantas website and

26
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,760
Speaker 3: I couldn't thought you think it was any easier than

27
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,320
Speaker 3: what it was. It was a great opportunity and it's

28
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,360
Speaker 3: just like booking a normal ticket there with the half

29
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,319
Speaker 3: price fair and you can easily book it.

30
00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,120
Speaker 2: And so Daniel, just for us layman out there listening

31
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,320
Speaker 2: myself for example, you know when you jump on Jetstar

32
00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,720
Speaker 2: or when you jump on on Quantas, does the half

33
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,000
Speaker 2: priced fair is that actually what comes up instantly or

34
00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:41,840
Speaker 2: does it sort of take it away at the end.

35
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,319
Speaker 3: Of course, we don't have jet Star flights in our

36
00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,440
Speaker 3: course out of Boolaroo. But I went on to the

37
00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:53,440
Speaker 3: Quantas site just only half an hour ago, and there

38
00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,040
Speaker 3: it was just like a ready deal that they have

39
00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,480
Speaker 3: on a regular basis. It's promoted as a half price

40
00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:06,040
Speaker 3: airfare and yeah, you know Alice Springs, it does traditionally

41
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,720
Speaker 3: does cost a little bit to fly in and out

42
00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,680
Speaker 3: of Alice Springs. And you know they were the fair

43
00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,480
Speaker 3: there one hundred and thirty five dollars to Melbourne, which

44
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:15,480
Speaker 3: for Alice is very cheap.

45
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,000
Speaker 2: Well, let's hope there are plenty of people take advantage

46
00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,480
Speaker 2: of these flights and that we see really an influx

47
00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:24,720
Speaker 2: of tourists.

48
00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,360
Speaker 3: Yeah very much. Okaye. Look, I think the real critical

49
00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,239
Speaker 3: thing here is we need to call on our government.

50
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,160
Speaker 3: So I think this has been a good program. It

51
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,200
Speaker 3: needs to probably be extended to really give to the

52
00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,720
Speaker 3: tourism that shot in the end that we need. And

53
00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,440
Speaker 3: I noticed many of our national tourism lobby groups have

54
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,440
Speaker 3: been calling out this morning for an extension of this

55
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,600
Speaker 3: program because the more we can get people traveling, the

56
00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,360
Speaker 3: more willthy our tourism industry rebound out of this pandemic.

57
00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:56,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's exactly right.

58
00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:57,119
Speaker 3: Now.

59
00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,800
Speaker 2: How have things been going for you guys in se Australia,

60
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:05,080
Speaker 2: particularly with some of these hot spot declarations and border

61
00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,079
Speaker 2: closures that we've seen as a result of the situation

62
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:08,960
Speaker 2: in Queensland.

63
00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I've been very worried of course, as is

64
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,840
Speaker 3: the industry. A shiva went down our collective spines this

65
00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,440
Speaker 3: week as that the hot spots started rolling out. We

66
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,079
Speaker 3: have seen cancelations through from southeast Queensland and northern New

67
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,000
Speaker 3: South Wales. That said, you know, there's some green buds

68
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,560
Speaker 3: of optimism Katie, in terms of forward bookings, but that

69
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,360
Speaker 3: will all disappear in a heartbeat if we start to

70
00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,800
Speaker 3: see some rollouts, which is another reason why Katie, we

71
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,680
Speaker 3: need our federal government and our government, our state and

72
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,880
Speaker 3: territory governments to increase the pace of vaccinations. You know,

73
00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:53,160
Speaker 3: we need to be rolling out the military here, as

74
00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,040
Speaker 3: there's been the case in places like the UK. The

75
00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,760
Speaker 3: quicker we get and get our nation vaccinated, the greatest

76
00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,960
Speaker 3: certainty will have not only for the tourism industry, but

77
00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:05,520
Speaker 3: for the wider general public.

78
00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no doubt that it will make people feel

79
00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,360
Speaker 2: I think a little bit more at ease with traveling

80
00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,080
Speaker 2: as well. And Daniel, there's no doubt at the moment.

81
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:15,800
Speaker 2: I guess too that you know, some people are maybe

82
00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,719
Speaker 2: you know, their fears have kind of changed to some degree.

83
00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,400
Speaker 2: I guess where they're may be not quite as concerned

84
00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:26,159
Speaker 2: about about COVID when they travel into state or you know,

85
00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,480
Speaker 2: intra territory. But what they are concerned about is some

86
00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,880
Speaker 2: of those hot spot declarations and how it may then

87
00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:33,480
Speaker 2: impact them trying to get home.

88
00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:41,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, and look exactly right, is it absolutely destroys travel

89
00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:47,240
Speaker 3: confidence any hot spot declaration? And look I understand the

90
00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,440
Speaker 3: importance of keeping us safe. And you know, there's you know,

91
00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,360
Speaker 3: we all understand what our governments are trying to do,

92
00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,279
Speaker 3: but there is a downstream consequence of that, and that

93
00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,520
Speaker 3: is manifests itself in terms of the challenges that our

94
00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,520
Speaker 3: industry is facing right across the nation.

95
00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,599
Speaker 2: What is the answer, I mean, is the answer the

96
00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,400
Speaker 2: vaccine rollout happening faster? Or you know, do we need

97
00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,480
Speaker 2: to sort of as a country relook at the way

98
00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,120
Speaker 2: that we're managing COVID and those hotspot declarations.

99
00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,240
Speaker 3: Oh? Look, I think most people are concerned and you

100
00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,279
Speaker 3: know what I hear on the street here analysis people

101
00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:29,080
Speaker 3: are concerned about the hot spots in terms of potentially

102
00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,920
Speaker 3: coming into the Northern territory. I think we need to

103
00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,520
Speaker 3: deal with the cause, not the symptom. Here, Katie, let's

104
00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:40,840
Speaker 3: get this vaccine roll out supercharged. You know, it's not

105
00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,320
Speaker 3: good enough to see the numbers that are being rolled

106
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,720
Speaker 3: out thus far. We need to really up the anti here.

107
00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,880
Speaker 3: And you know, we're seeing it in other jurisdictions like

108
00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,960
Speaker 3: the United Kingdom, where they are absolutely supercharging their roleout.

109
00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,600
Speaker 3: We have one of the world's best mathem medical systems.

110
00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,400
Speaker 3: We should be doing that as well, which we'll ensure

111
00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,599
Speaker 3: that everyone gets vaccinated and we can go and travel

112
00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:06,440
Speaker 3: with peace of mind.

113
00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,480
Speaker 2: Now, can I just ask Daniel how things going in

114
00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,640
Speaker 2: the lead into to Pajuma. Have you have we had

115
00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,320
Speaker 2: lots of people booking to head to Central Australia.

116
00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, look one of the great as I said, some

117
00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,720
Speaker 3: green buds of optimism and no better area around Pajma.

118
00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,719
Speaker 3: And so we're seeing certainly some very strong bookings for

119
00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,799
Speaker 3: both of those periods. Pajuma. The first weekend at Pagma

120
00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,440
Speaker 3: is almost fully booked out here in our springs, and

121
00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,800
Speaker 3: you know, that's so great to see after what has

122
00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:41,200
Speaker 3: been a difficult year for us all certainly think as

123
00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:45,040
Speaker 3: we as you may know, is fully booked out, and

124
00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,479
Speaker 3: you know we're putting groups in scout halls at the

125
00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,679
Speaker 3: moment to accommodate everyone. Look where we're so excited about

126
00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,440
Speaker 3: the opportunities this season has. Certainly the feedback from operators

127
00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,720
Speaker 3: is there's again there's that green bud of optimism coming

128
00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,160
Speaker 3: back into our industry.

129
00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:03,120
Speaker 1: Oh well, I'm pleased to hear that.

130
00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,000
Speaker 2: And look, I think we're all hoping that things live

131
00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,920
Speaker 2: it up, you know, and that we have lots of well,

132
00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,360
Speaker 2: whether they're interstate tourists or interstate tourists. So we're all

133
00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,239
Speaker 2: hoping that we can keep the tourism industry kicking along

134
00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,040
Speaker 2: and hopefully, you know, try to make up for that

135
00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,280
Speaker 2: lack of international tourists able to visit.

136
00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:22,840
Speaker 4: Yeah.

137
00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:29,240
Speaker 3: Absolutely, and look, yeah, certainly there's everyone's got every fingers

138
00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,040
Speaker 3: crossed and everything crossed for what will be a good

139
00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,040
Speaker 3: twenty twenty one. Will be some launching a number of

140
00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,720
Speaker 3: national marketing campaigns to encourage people to come to the

141
00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,240
Speaker 3: Red Center and you know, the opportunity is there.

142
00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,880
Speaker 2: Well. Daniel Rochford, the CEO of Tourism Central Australia, good

143
00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:45,640
Speaker 2: to catch up with you.

144
00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:46,520
Speaker 1: Thanks for your time.