The Northern Territory's tourism minister says "all Australians have a social responsibility" to visit the NT, as new figures reveal visitation is struggling at the territory's famed landmark of Uluru.Tourism operators and officials have partly blamed flight availability and costs for the lullThe Parks Australia data, seen by the ABC, shows Uluru visitation has stayed sluggish in 2023.
"Domestic and inbound demand is strong and Voyages has invested significantly in demand creation … however without aviation consistency, Central Australia will suffer in terms of tourism growth and employment opportunities," a Voyages spokesperson said.The NT's tourism minister Nicole Manison said "Territorians aren't getting the level of service they deserve" in relation to the choice and cost of air travel to Uluru.
"I think Australians want to travel all over Australia, but they need to be given a reason to come here, and that is for a great experience," Ms Boothby said. "Some of this can be attributed to the slower recovery of international tourism to Australia since the pandemic.