Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Tourism Central Australia CEO Daniel Rochford

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Katie Woolf spoke with Tourism Central Australia CEO Daniel Rochford · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf on Mixed one oh four
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  Speaker 1: point nine thanks to Joyce Main Darwin.
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  Speaker 2: Well, you are listening to three sixty and I'll tell
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  Speaker 2: you what.
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  Speaker 1: It's been a busy morning and here we have got
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  Speaker 1: a lot of messages flowing through. I am going to
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  Speaker 1: get to those very shortly, but I know that you're
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  Speaker 1: all probably aware that there is this travel bubble now
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  Speaker 1: of course between Australia and New Zealand. It's set to
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  Speaker 1: come into play very soon. Now joining me on the
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  Speaker 1: line from Tourism Central Australia the CEO Daniel Rochford.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Daniel.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Daniel, what did you think, well, what was your reaction
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  Speaker 1: firstly upon this travel bubble with New Zealand.
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  Speaker 2: Is it going to bring more people to the territory.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. I look at it pretty optimistically.
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  Speaker 3: You know, Central Australia is a key international destination and
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  Speaker 3: New Zealand is one of Australia's key source markets. So
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  Speaker 3: we'll see visitors come through, but we have to be
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  Speaker 3: really stick here. New Zealand then market traditionally holiday and
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  Speaker 3: places like the Gold Coasts and can, but you know
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  Speaker 3: we'll see certainly a trickle through come into Central Australia.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, let's hope.
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  Speaker 1: So, And I know we spoke about it a little
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  Speaker 1: bit earlier in the week on air with the Tourism
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  Speaker 1: Minister and also with Hospitality and Tea and spoke about
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  Speaker 1: the potential that maybe New Zealanders could come in and
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  Speaker 1: into the territory and fill some of those jobs that
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  Speaker 1: we're not currently able to fill.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's I completely agree with that. And I
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  Speaker 3: think that as you know, we're facing a real labor
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  Speaker 3: shortage year in Central Australia Katie, and in the tourism
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  Speaker 3: and hospitality sectors. So I think that can only be
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  Speaker 3: positive news with this travel bubble and the opportunity of
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  Speaker 3: getting extra labor can only but be welcomed.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, let's hope. So now, Daniel, I know that Pajama
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  Speaker 1: is upon us. How's the feeling in Central Australia at
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  Speaker 1: the moment.
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  Speaker 3: It's pretty exciting, Katie. I'd have to say, we're really
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  Speaker 3: so happy to be welcoming visitors again to our piece
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  Speaker 3: of paradise. And I think numbers are looking pretty good.
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  Speaker 3: We've got twelve thousand people registered for partum more over
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  Speaker 3: the next ten days. So you know, that's just under
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  Speaker 3: the half of the population of Alice Greens coming to
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  Speaker 3: our town. So yeah, it really pumped in the town's
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  Speaker 3: really excited about welcoming visitors again. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: I was going to say, any idea whether you know
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  Speaker 1: of those twelve thousand people that have registered, whether they're
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  Speaker 1: locals or whether they're from interstate.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, mostly from intra territory and interstate.
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  Speaker 2: Awesome.
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  Speaker 3: This is really welcome news. As you know, we've been
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  Speaker 3: talking about it for the last year, the challenges we've
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  Speaker 3: faced to have the green buds of optimism come back
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  Speaker 3: into our sector is really welcome and it's been a
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  Speaker 3: frustrating year. But hopefully that's behind it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I hope.
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  Speaker 1: So, I really hope that you have a cracking time,
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  Speaker 1: you know, and that that it's a.
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  Speaker 2: Really successful event. How have things been going?
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  Speaker 1: You know, you and I have spoken on numerous occasions
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  Speaker 1: as well when it comes to some of the issues
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  Speaker 1: with the likes of youth crime. Have things sort of
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  Speaker 1: settled down a little bit?
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  Speaker 3: I have to say, you know, they're obviously things that
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  Speaker 3: get put up on social media, but there's a clear
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  Speaker 3: visible police presence in Alice Springs, not just the new
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  Speaker 3: mobile police station. We're seeing mounted police officers, canine control,
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  Speaker 3: canine officers. You know, it's certainly very clear and visible.
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  Speaker 3: You know, we're always very concerned about this issue and
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  Speaker 3: its impact to our industry and we're certainly see having
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  Speaker 3: seen that. So look, we have suddenly spoken the Minister
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  Speaker 3: Madison on this issue on regular occasions over the last
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  Speaker 3: few weeks and months, especially in the lead up to
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  Speaker 3: events like parts. It's absolutely important that we put a
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  Speaker 3: great focus on this, oh one.
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  Speaker 1: Hundred percent, and we all want it to be an
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  Speaker 1: absolute success, and you know, I really hope it is.
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  Speaker 1: I'm still waiting to get down there one year for Parchmer,
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  Speaker 1: but it looks absolutely amazing. I know that it was
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  Speaker 1: spoken about yesterday and a few people have been talking
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  Speaker 1: about the fact that the marketing campaign for the Parchumer Festival,
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  Speaker 1: well some of it. Some of that breakdown includes fifty
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  Speaker 1: five thousand dollars for social media influencers. Some questioning whether
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  Speaker 1: that's money well spent. What do you reckon, Daniel, I.
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  Speaker 3: Reckon, it's money absolutely well spent. Katie. Yeah, So we've
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  Speaker 3: got to understand get into twenty twenty one. Here a
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  Speaker 3: lot of people digest their information online and they consume
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  Speaker 3: it from influencers and that's just the way the world now,
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  Speaker 3: and you know, we've got to understand that's how we've
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  Speaker 3: got a roll. And you know, I know that doesn't
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  Speaker 3: compute with some people, but I think that is absolutely
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  Speaker 3: money well spent and it will showcase Central Australia to
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  Speaker 3: hundreds and millions of people, which you know takes a
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  Speaker 3: lot of effort and money to do well.
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  Speaker 1: And you've still got lots of other things coming up
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  Speaker 1: as well, don't you. I mean it's all going Central
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  Speaker 1: Australia when it comes to tourism.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, look, we've got to think in not too this
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  Speaker 3: in future and many other great events. We've got a
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  Speaker 3: new event focusing on our astronomy, our Dark Skies Festival
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  Speaker 3: in early May, and don't forget we've got the Alice
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  Speaker 3: Springs Cup in a few weeks time. So these are
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  Speaker 3: all great opportunities to come and visit Central Australia. And yeah,
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  Speaker 3: we're really excited and pumped for this season.
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  Speaker 2: Oh good stuff.
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  Speaker 1: Well. Daniel Rochford, the CEO of Tourism Central Australia, always
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  Speaker 1: good to catch up mate, Thanks for your time.
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  Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, thank you.
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  Speaker 2: And yeah, I tell you what it sounds like.
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  Speaker 1: There is so much it's happening in Central Australia at
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  Speaker 1: the moment that Dark Skies Festival sounds like an interesting one.
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  Speaker 2: Might have to have a look at that one. And
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  Speaker 2: it is an
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely beautiful place to visit, there's no doubt about that.