Budget 2019 sees funding for TURBO2
- 23 April 2019
The Budget 2019 funding package, TURBO2, follows the Government's initial Turbocharging Tourism investment which has exceeded its targets, attracting more holiday visitors and business event travellers to the Territory.
So far the tourism stimulus package has delivered more than 57,000 additional holiday bookings resulting in $70 million into the economy, well above the target of 53,000 additional visitors by the end of June this year.
It has also resulted in new aviation services including Donghai Airlines’ China-Darwin service, additional Jetstar Asia and SilkAir services between Singapore-Darwin, new Virgin Australia services between Brisbane-Alice Springs and Darwin-Bali, Airnorth twice-weekly Gold Coast-Darwin flights and a new Qantas Darwin-Uluru-Adelaide service.
38 business events and conferences have also been secured bringing more than 12,000 business delegates and more than $29 million into the economy, with most events occurring this year.
$11.6 million in private investment has also been injected into the local economy through the $3 million Visitor Experience Enhancement Program, allowing 115 tourism-related businesses to improve their visitor experience.
TURBO2 will build on this momentum of TURBO1, delivering more investment into domestic and international marketing and continuing support for events and festivals which are bringing more people to the Territory every year.
The new package includes $27.7 million extra over two years to boost co-operative marketing, promoting the Territory nationally and internationally, $20 million extra over two years for major events and community festivals across the Territory, recognising their importance to liveability, tourism and local jobs, and $15.1 million extra over two years to enhance visitor experiences in our Parks and through our arts and cultural offerings and to support tourism operators to improve visitor experiences.
Meanwhile, the $53.74 million investment in tourism infrastructure from TURBO1 continues with:
- the new George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens visitor centre,
- new camping grounds and swimming holes at Litchfield National Park,
- preservation works at the Hermannsburg Historical Precinct underway,
- expansion of walking tracks at Nitmiluk National Park underway,
- revitalisation of the visitor experience in Tennant Creek,
- opening up new cycling adventures on the Red Centre Ride and
- new walking experiences at Watarrka National Park.