Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Top End Tourism GM Glen Hingley

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Katie Woolf spoke with Top End Tourism GM Glen Hingley · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, and joining us on the line right now is
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  Speaker 1: Tourism Top Ends General Manager Glenn Hingley. Good morning to you, Glenn.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: Patty, good morning, Good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Glenn, obviously you and I speak fairly often and
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  Speaker 1: we know that it's around the territory. There has been
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  Speaker 1: a real impact in recent weeks when it comes to
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  Speaker 1: our tourism sector, following on from those lockdowns in other states.
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  Speaker 1: How are we going at this point in time.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we recently, just in fact, in the last week
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  Speaker 2: post the lockdown, did the sentiment survey out with our
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  Speaker 2: industry and we had an enormous response back from our
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  Speaker 2: hospitality and tourism industry and eighty percent of businesses are
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  Speaker 2: experiencing a significant downtown to the lockdown and the follow
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  Speaker 2: on from that, ninety five percent of business has said
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  Speaker 2: their interstate travel restrictions and water closures were significantly impacting
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  Speaker 2: their business. Eighty percent to the impact of the lockdowns
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  Speaker 2: had resulted in cancelations, so enormous cancelations going forward. And
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  Speaker 2: the total tullied up just through the survey alone was
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  Speaker 2: fifty five million dollars. Now we don't have the abs figures,
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  Speaker 2: and the other survey figures which government works on. That's
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  Speaker 2: normally got a three to six month delay. But to
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  Speaker 2: know that that lockdown and the cancelations at followed on
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  Speaker 2: cost our territory economy a minimum fifty five million dollars
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  Speaker 2: just through that's in that act alone, is worrying. Now,
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  Speaker 2: that's the help. The health of the health of territories
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  Speaker 2: comes first, and we know that the cost of extended
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  Speaker 2: lockdowns will be far greater. So but at the moment
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  Speaker 2: we've got it wasn't truly over half were tourism and
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  Speaker 2: businesses that rely upon the success of tourism extremely worried
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  Speaker 2: about their business prospects over the next six to twelve months.
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  Speaker 2: And part of that is little to no cash flow.
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  Speaker 2: July and August represent thirty five percent of our annual
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  Speaker 2: visitor economies in income for our visitor economy, that's and
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  Speaker 2: then for the month of during for example, that's seven
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  Speaker 2: point six million dollars a day, and that coach sorry
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  Speaker 2: for July, I should say, and that carries through into
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  Speaker 2: August to be about eight million dollars a day. Now,
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  Speaker 2: that was the amount that it was in twenty nineteen,
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  Speaker 2: and it's not even a third of that now.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn. They are phenomenal figures for all the wrong reasons.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, we're talking about significant amounts of money here
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  Speaker 1: that our tourism sector is losing. You mentioned that survey,
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  Speaker 1: the sentiment survey. How many businesses took part in that with.
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  Speaker 2: One hundred and fifty businesses take partner across the territory
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  Speaker 2: and those businesses at the moment are in amongst all
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  Speaker 2: the others. So that's a sample and in a sentiment survey,
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  Speaker 2: in terms of the numbers, that's a pretty good response. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: I think there's a good cross section too. We're able
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  Speaker 2: to get a good cross section not just accommodation, but touring, cruising, attractions, retail, hospitality,
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  Speaker 2: and they're the numbers that added up into that. And
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  Speaker 2: the thing that hides behind that is the jobs the
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  Speaker 2: territorians who don't have work, those people who are either
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  Speaker 2: serving customers or serving the businesses that serve customers. They're
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  Speaker 2: the ones who, specially our casual workforce, they're the ones
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  Speaker 2: that we're so worried about at the moment, and we
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  Speaker 2: know that they're the ones that could be looked after. Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Before the lockdown, we were talking about labor shortages, and
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  Speaker 2: now we've got businesses under tremendous pressure that with little
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  Speaker 2: to no cash flow to retain those staffs. So certainly
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  Speaker 2: we're working on programs to put together in a collaborative
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  Speaker 2: sense with government that can identify businesses that are in
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  Speaker 2: severe distress because we are a multi year economy. Now.
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  Speaker 2: Some businesses are still doing crackingly well and God look
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  Speaker 2: good on them. And others are doing pretty well keeping
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  Speaker 2: their head above water. But what about those businesses that
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  Speaker 2: employed territory that we need for when the ship writes itself,
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  Speaker 2: when we're through this the other side. We need businesses
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  Speaker 2: like that in play. So we need some way to
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  Speaker 2: keep them from becoming insolvent. We need to keep them alive.
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  Speaker 2: And that's the key part of what trying to work
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  Speaker 2: on at the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn, that's fifty five million dollars over what period of
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  Speaker 1: time is that loss that was?
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  Speaker 2: That was the loss of the week and the forward bookings.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow, so.
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  Speaker 2: That was the lockdown of that week because no travel. Yes,
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  Speaker 2: people were still paying their roommates, but they weren't able
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  Speaker 2: to go out and spend on attractions tours. Do some
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  Speaker 2: retail go to some arts and crafts go to an
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  Speaker 2: Aboriginal gallery. They weren't able to do any of that,
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  Speaker 2: and then the forward bookings that canceled over that, so
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  Speaker 2: it was literally a tsunami of forward bookings and some
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  Speaker 2: were replenished a little bit around Dawn Shop, which we
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  Speaker 2: saw on the weekend. One of the saving graces is
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  Speaker 2: we've still got a lot of as they're fondly calling
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  Speaker 2: themselves COVID refugees with their caravans and their RVs still
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  Speaker 2: spending time in the top end. What better place in
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  Speaker 2: Australia to spend this time at the moment because they
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  Speaker 2: can't return back to New South Wales. And for those
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  Speaker 2: of you who were heading back to Brisbane, well they're
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  Speaker 2: not now heading back to Southeast Queen Vane. Those who
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  Speaker 2: can go back to Victoria are. But so we still
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  Speaker 2: we're busy on the roads with a lot of caravan
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  Speaker 2: and camping. Myself was down in Daily waters Im weekend, Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: and it was it was doing. It was incredibly good.
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  Speaker 2: And then at Matta Raanker on Sunday night again fantastic,
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  Speaker 2: great show. But as we get closer around a lot
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  Speaker 2: of our other really important parts of our sector, like
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  Speaker 2: our touring operators. It's our touring operators is a really
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  Speaker 2: good example here, those people who have for decades run
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  Speaker 2: some of Australia's leading tour operations with guides, with partnership
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  Speaker 2: with traditional owners, taking people into really amazing places across
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  Speaker 2: the top end. They haven't seen a real pain customer
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  Speaker 2: since September twenty nineteen. Yes, they didn't get picked up
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  Speaker 2: in job Keeper. They got some small support on the
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  Speaker 2: way through and in May they were starting to see
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  Speaker 2: some pretty good bookings. In June that was starting so
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  Speaker 2: in May that was starting to pick up pretty well.
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  Speaker 2: But once the lockdown came, everything was canceled moving forward
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  Speaker 2: and so many of those businesses are struggling. And when
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  Speaker 2: I say they didn't get any help, that's the one
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  Speaker 2: sector of our industry in particular that didn't get picked
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  Speaker 2: up in last year's tourism vouchers.
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  Speaker 1: Glenn, can I ask now about those tourism vouchers. There
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  Speaker 1: is a ministry yesterday was on the show and flagged
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  Speaker 1: that they are going to be relaunched around October. What
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  Speaker 1: are you being told at this point and is it
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  Speaker 1: going to make the difference that we made?
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  Speaker 2: Well, it's going to go to some way to plugging
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  Speaker 2: the whole in keeping Territorians in jobs and keeping a
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  Speaker 2: lot of business solvent, which we need to be doing.
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  Speaker 2: So yes, Round four that was announced in the budget
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  Speaker 2: back in May, we're waiting for proper, genuine confirmation. So
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  Speaker 2: we've heard that of October through. We've also had the
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  Speaker 2: Chief Minister say that it would be out of Christmas.
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  Speaker 2: The industry are eager and I think Territorians are also
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  Speaker 2: eager to get their vouchers. And I think the key
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  Speaker 2: part of this was that five million dollars last year
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  Speaker 2: in each of those three rounds at fifteen was matched
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  Speaker 2: dollar for dollar for territoriums as they traveled anywhere they
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  Speaker 2: chose in the Northern Territory. And that's the key here
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  Speaker 2: with these vouchers, that this is government money, but it's
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  Speaker 2: been matched by Territorians and then they have their choice
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  Speaker 2: to travel where they want throughout the territory to help
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  Speaker 2: keep Territorians in jobs, territory and businesses alive. And we're
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  Speaker 2: so grateful and it was a cracking initiative and I'm
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  Speaker 2: privileged to represent the territory on the Australian Tourism Industry
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  Speaker 2: Council and I can tell you that every other state
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  Speaker 2: looked with great envy towards the way the vouchers worked
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  Speaker 2: in the territory, how quick they were, and how sective
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  Speaker 2: they were, supporting a broad range of tourism and hospitality businesses.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it looks like it's going to need to be key. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: it looks like it's going to need to be something
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  Speaker 1: that's rolled out again. So Glenn, are you hearing this?
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  Speaker 1: Not only will there be around it in October, but
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  Speaker 1: also at Christmas.
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  Speaker 2: I'm hearing that the round, if it's related to what
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  Speaker 2: happened previously, it will go for a three or four
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  Speaker 2: month time. So that was round one, Round two, Round three.
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  Speaker 2: So certainly, from from our industry's perspective, we want to
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  Speaker 2: keep people on the books, keep them employed now as
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  Speaker 2: we move and extend the shoulder season into the Christmas period.
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  Speaker 2: No one wants to be laying off staff prior to Christmas.
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  Speaker 2: And for territories they can't travel anywhere prior to Christmas.
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  Speaker 2: What at what a great opportunity to get out saw
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  Speaker 2: so many territorians explore their backyard for the very first time,
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  Speaker 2: so many new territorians getting around and had that initiative
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  Speaker 2: and as a result have continued traveling so and to
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  Speaker 2: be able to travel anywhere in the territory is really
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  Speaker 2: important and keep people employed. And the other thing is
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  Speaker 2: to the sooner that we could launch it, we would
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  Speaker 2: encourage government and October sounds like a pretty good time
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  Speaker 2: to me that it keeps our workforce in place, people
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  Speaker 2: in jobs, and those who are fortunate enough to get
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  Speaker 2: the vouchers. Encourage you to get your friends and go
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  Speaker 2: out and travel and spend the time around the territory.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely get it happening. And let's hope that it really
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  Speaker 1: helps those businesses, particularly when you talk about it, fifty
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  Speaker 1: five million dollar loss in one week. I mean, it's
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  Speaker 1: phenomenal figures for unfortunately all the wrong reasons. Glenn, we
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  Speaker 1: are going to have to leave it there. I really
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  Speaker 1: appreciate your time as always. I understand you had the
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  Speaker 1: COVID jab this morning as well. How'd you go shake them? One?
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  Speaker 2: Done? Didn't hurt, It didn't feel a thing.
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  Speaker 3: And that's one thing that we know is you know,
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  Speaker 3: I know that everyone's not on board with it, but
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  Speaker 3: our other solution is to continue living life and fear
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  Speaker 3: of a lockdown and economically and people for jobs come
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  Speaker 3: forward to do it. So yep, I'm proud to have
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  Speaker 3: my second job. And I recommend anyone out there too
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  Speaker 3: who's on the fence.
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  Speaker 2: Go and talk to your GP. Get the advice, get the.
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  Speaker 1: Job, good advice. I reckon Glenn. Good to catch up
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  Speaker 1: with you, mate, Thanks so much for your time this.
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  Speaker 2: Morning, Katie, thank you so much.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you. That is Glenn Hingley there, who is Tourism
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  Speaker 1: top Ends General Manager. I tell you what that sentiment
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  Speaker 1: survey one hundred and fifty businesses, around one hundred and
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  Speaker 1: fifty businesses taking part in that, and the impact that
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  Speaker 1: these lockdowns around the nation are having just phenomenal. Like
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  Speaker 1: I said, for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, we're going
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: to take a very short break. When we come back,
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: we're going to be catching up with the Darwin Airport,
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: the Airport Development Groups General Manager of Operations and finding
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: out a bit more about the changes for the international arrivals.