Darwin added to the list for Federal Government's half price flights

Darwin added to the list for Federal Government’s half price flights

by | Mar 11, 2021 | News | 0 comments

The Top End has now been included in the Federal Government’s $1.2 billion tourism and aviation support package which will allow Aussies to book half-priced airfares to Darwin, Senator Sam McMahon has confirmed.

“I spoke to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack last night and demanded Darwin be added to the list after it was initially not included in the 13 destinations eligible for half price tickets as part of the COVID-19 recovery plan,” Senator McMahon said in a statement.

Senator McMahon said Mr McCormack confirmed that it will be part of the package even though it was not announced on the initial list.

“I am delighted to have been able to secure this important addition to the list, which will benefit the whole of the Northern Territory,” she said.

Earlier, Territory Tourism and Hospitality Minister Natasha Fyles told ABC Darwin radio said she had spoken with federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan and state and territory tourism minister counterparts on Wednesday saying that they had a “very productive meeting.”

“They provided some information around this package and the door is open for us to go back and continue to work with them,” Ms Fyles said.

“But there are elements of the package that we need to work through the detail and see if they’d benefit the Top End. But again, I’m happy to go back and lobby the Commonwealth around the Top End region, noting that Central Australia has picked up these flight benefits but not here into the Top End.”

The package will see 800,000 tickets made available to Australians to travel to now 14 destinations, including Alice Springs and Uluru. The other places are Avalon, Broome, Burnie, Cairns, Devonport, the Gold Coast, Kangaroo Island, Launceston, Merimbula, Mackay and the Whitsundays, and the Sunshine Coasts .

The initial announcement from the Morrison Government had Darwin excluded from the list of routes targeted by the half price airfares program. It drew flak and dismay from much of the Top End’s tourism sector saying that it will cause further drawback in the industry because domestic travelers will go elsewhere.

Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley had expressed his “fierce disappointment” over the Federal Government’s announcement when Darwin hadn’t been included.

“I feel so sorry for so many of the businesses around the Top End that are still struggling despite all the local stimulus campaigns that have happened,” Mr Hingley told the ABC Radio Darwin.

Executive general manager of marketing at Tourism NT Tony Quarmby had said the Territory was more dependent on domestic interstate visitors than most other place because its low population base doesn’t lead to a lot of local travel.

Mr Quarmby stressed how badly the Top End was hit by the travel restrictions brought about by the ongoing pandemic, saying that local tourism operators lost $1.3 billion in revenue last year.

He also said that 18 per cent of the Top End’s workforce depends on tourism or one in eight jobs.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said while Australia’s economy had recovered 85 per cent of its fall from COVID-19, the next step in the Government’s National Economic Recovery Plan would target the businesses, workers and regions still doing it tough.

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