In it, a $2.2 billion visitor spend from 1.5 million trips has been set as the target for 2032, up from a $1.5 billion visitor spend from 1.2 million trips for the year to March 2025, as determined by Tourism Research Australia.
The NT’s tourism and hospitality minister, Marie-Clare Boothby called the spend and visitation goals of the strategy “ambitious”.
“With two World-Heritage listed national parks and a lifestyle the rest of the nation should envy, the Northern Territory has what Australia and the world are looking for,” she said.
“Our new visitor economy strategy showcases the Northern Territory as Australia’s best-kept secret, and a must-add destination on every traveller’s itinerary.”
The new strategy will acknowledge the wholistic visitor economy – from leisure visitors to business events visitors, those travelling to attend public events and those visiting for study or work.
The framework identifies five objectives for the strategy – visitor economy infrastructure investment, improving connectivity and access to and within the territory, investing in the visitor economy workforce, enhancing the perception of the NT globally and expanding the experiences and product offerings for the visitor economy.
Business events have been particularly identified as a path to building positive perception for the Northern Territory around the world as has leveraging the territory’s presence on screen, in film and television.
The strategy comes just ahead of the debut of a new tourism and events body in the Northern Territory, that will replace the existing Tourism NT and the Northern Territory Major Events Company. The new organisation – Tourism and Events NT – will launch on January 1, 2026.
“The Northern Territory is a place like nowhere else – our unique character is our competitive strength. This lies at the heart of our strategy,” said the NT’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality CEO Suzana Bishop.
“The establishment of Tourism and Events NT to drive the strategy also strengthens our ability to coordinate outcomes and market the territory’s unique assets and events.
“The strategy captures the ideas and ambitions of people driving the territory’s visitor economy while establishing clear accountability across sectors that influence tourism and whole of visitor economy outcomes.
“Developed in partnership with industry, the strategy reflects extensive consultation and collaboration across…visitor economy stakeholders,” said Bishop.
“Within the territory more than 350 people contributed through roadshows, surveys and conversations held in Nhulunbuy, Alice Springs, Yulara, Tennant Creek, Darwin, Katherine and online.
“The strategy is also informed by comprehensive national and global research, ensuring the targets and direction capture both the territory’s competitive strengths and the opportunities shaping the future of travel.”
The full 2032 visitor economy strategy for the NT will be delivered in March next year, including a road map to implement the strategy.
