Joining forces to save tourism industry

By ERWIN CHLANDA

The town's focus in 2025 will be on a fight for survival of the travel industry and the nearly 400 members of Tourism Central Australia will need to join forces.

That was the unanimous view of the 150 people who attended the organisation’s AGM yesterday evening.

The trade’s doyen, Brendan Heenan, who developed the town’s largest caravan park and for decades has played a major role in tourism promotion, told the meeting four of the past five years had been bad, leading to a 50% decline in earnings.

A principal reason was claims on social media about crime although there has been a recent improvement.

Mr Heenan called for significant support from the Federal Government.

However, the meeting was told not all is lost.

An online travel agency will soon announce a $250 discount on air fares.

The NT Government is providing visitors with a 25% support payment for accommodation, tours, transport and attractions.

And forward bookings sold by TCA for the three months from December to February have more than doubled, from $309,000 in 2023 and 2024 compared to $641,000 in 2024 and 2025.

TCA CEO Danial Rochford says this may be a useful window into the industry’s Year 2025.

Part of last night's crowd.

Poor trading has led to the decline in the value of businesses which now can’t borrow to keep going, said Mr Heenan, suggesting that pubic support must be broad.

“When the Federal Government gave $250m, to whom we don’t know, we did not see any programs to support children and their families to give them support and education that they needed.

“It has been very difficult to obtain information where the money has been spent and what outcomes were achieved.”

The crime rate dropped since the new NT government was elected last year, said Mr Heenan.

Alice Springs needs “moral and financial support from the Federal Government.

"We have lost four generations of Indigenous families.”

TCA members, speaking with the Alice Springs News before the meeting, whose start was delayed by a power outage for half an hour, commented harshly about the smearing of the town in social media.

Said Mr Heenan during his speech: “The Action for Alice Facebook page needs to do a 180 degree turn and start supporting the town and businesses with good stories.

“We don’t want to see more businesses close and people leaving Alice Springs.”

Workers asked to come to town “are saying no because of the perceived crime.

“If we don’t speak up now we will never be heard.”

Mr Heenan called for designating the town and region as rural and remote, creating accelerated depreciation tax incentives for businesses, and a shorter depreciation period, five to 10 years instead of 40 years.

An education hub should be created particular focussing on nursing, health, teaching, facilitated through the Charles Darwin University and with an Alice Springs campus.

It would enable Indigenous students to embark on tertiary studies without leaving their communities.

“I sent that [a letter with his suggestions] to the Prime Minister in May last year. I never got a reply,” said Mr Heenan.

Mayor Matt Paterson told the meeting the Town Council has been consulting about the CBD redevelopment, 50% of which has now been closed to public comment.

“Part of the project is a public art component,” said Mayor Paterson. There are three things in local government that are very difficult to handle, he said – tree species, car parking and public art.

“It is a very big piece of art, it is at stage one, what happens then is whoever is picked will go to stage two, but everything is on the table.

“I urge you all to put in a submission.

“The new visitor information centre is going into the library and we’re looking at the river, a big Alice Springs sign, and very Instagrammable … such as a light show, like Parrtjima in the Mall, those sorts of things, statues of prominent Indigenous people.

“Everything is on the table.

“Unlike Uncle Kon [Mayor Vatskalis] in Darwin I don’t want to have the Cyclone Tracy sort of scenario,” he said, referring to the controversy over a sculpture commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the cyclone.

PHOTO AT TOP: Proposed redevelopment of the mall. The existing Uniting Church is in the centre of the image.