Territorytourism businesses will be supported to enhance their visitor offerings, withthe Visitor Experience Enhancement Program (VEEP) to be extended for anothertwo years as part of the Territory Labor Governments $62.8 million TURBO2investment announced earlier this week.
Under VEEP, afurther $3 million will be available over two years from July 2019. Businesses will be able to access grants to make improvements that will lead toall-important positive visitor reviews and perceptions of theirofferings.
VEEP waslaunched as part of TURBO1, with 115 Territory businesses benefiting fromenhancement grants over two rounds. The $3 million program unlocked afurther $11.6 million in private investment across the Territory.
VEEP2 isexpected to deliver similar benefits.
TURBO2 alsocontinues the Governments focus on attracting more business events andconferences to the Territory, with a further $7 million over two years goinginto attracting more business events through a business event support fund andtargeted business event marketing activities.
Business eventsdeliver significant economic benefit, with delegates often staying longer andspending more on average than other visitors.
TURBO1investment into business events attraction has seen 38 business events and conferencesbooked in, most in 2019, bringing more than 12,000 delegates and $29 millioninto the economy. TURBO2 is expected to build on this momentum.
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, LaurenMoss:
Wecontinue to invest in tourism to attract more people to the Territory and tomake sure they have a great experience when theyre here. Thats what theVisitor Experience Enhancement Program is all about.
Theresponse from tourism and hospitality operators to previous rounds of theprogram was extremely positive with 115 operators from across the Territorytaking advantage of the grants to improve their visitor experience.
Investingin TURBO2 allows us to build on the momentum of our first Turbocharging Tourisminvestment, which has so far delivered more than 57,000 extra holiday visitors,injecting more than $70 million extra into the economy.
Aswell as improving our visitor offering, the VEEP program will also provide awelcome boost to local tradies who will benefit from millions of dollars worthof enhancement works right across the Territory.
ThroughTURBO2, the Territory Labor Government will also continue to invest inattracting more national and international business events.
Weknow that business events deliver significant economic benefits and supportlocal tourism, retail and hospitality jobs. Securing just one additional500-delegate business event for the Territory delivers over $2 million inincremental visitor spend thats why we will continue to aggressively pursuebusiness events both domestically and from Asia.
Businessevents and conferences are highly sought after; our investment of $7 millionover two years means we are able to offer attractive incentives to getorganisers to stage their business events and conferences in theTerritory.
Thisinvestment will be supported by the Territorys first ever long-term businessevents strategy which will guide the development of the NT business eventssector through to 2030.
As stated byPeeWees Owners, Lily and Simon Matthews:
As businessowners in the Tourism and Hospitality sector, we applaud NTG on the recentTurbo Charging Initiative. This is a great vehicle for helping businesses, suchas ourselves, to invest in improving their business and infrastructure whichleads to an improved visitor experience.
We weregrateful for the support from TT1 as this enabled us to complete our recentrenovation at PeeWees.
The extensiverenovation has increased our Wet Season capacity, modernised the facilities andusability of the complex, as well as beautified the outdoor gardens and lawns.
We believethat TT2 is a great way for NTG to support local businesses by helping tofacilitate their infrastructure needs.
The Tourism andHospitality industry in a major contributor to the Northern Territory economy.Through an enhanced visitor experience, more jobs are created and the flow oneffects of extra business increases on a macro level.
