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The Northern Territory Government is handing out $3 million of taxpayers' money to businesses including five-star hotel chains and luxury waterfront restaurants.
Key points:
- DoubleTree by Hilton received two "one-off" grants to upgrade its gym and services
- The NT Government says the funds fell within its tourism grant criteria
- It comes as a report by the NT Auditor-General suggests spending "could be restrained"
A long list of businesses operating in the NT have stumped up cash to enhance the "visitor experience" — money that's being matched dollar-for-dollar by the Government.
As part of its $103 million turbo-charging tourism campaign, the Government has already delivered the first half to businesses through the 2018-19 Visitor Experience Enhancement Program (VEEP).
The theory is that by enhancing infrastructure and beautifying restaurants and hotels, more tourists will recommend the NT as a place to visit when they return home.
Among the businesses to receive up to $50,000 in public funding is the DoubleTree by Hilton, an international luxury hotel chain.
The company received two "one-off" grants — one for $23,925 to upgrade the gym at its Alice Springs location, and one for $50,000 to upgrade "information services" at its hotel in Darwin.
Other grants to "turbo-charge the visitor experience" included:
- Installation of a new integrated audio visual system, Pee Wees Darwin ($50,000)
- Upgrade Point of Sale System (POS), Hot Tamale restaurant ($11,000)
- Restaurant and guest room enhancement, H on Smith Hotel ($45,454)
- New breakfast and seafood restaurant at the Waterfront, Snapper Rocks Bar and Restaurant ($50,000)
The Government said all the VEEP grants fitted within the tourism department's grant selection criteria.
A November report by the Northern Territory's auditor-general noted a stimulus spending spree and ballooning debt.
The report, tabled in the final NT parliamentary sittings this week, shows the Government's total expenses were $350.7 million higher than the previous year, "indicating opportunities may exist where spending could be restrained in the current environment".
The auditor-general singled out capital grants as an area of fiscal concern highlighting a $34 million spend in the last year.
Yet the Tourism Minister Lauren Moss defended their approach, and argued visitor numbers would lift in the future.
"It does have a very good process around it for making sure that people are showing a need around the improvement of their visitor experience," Ms Moss said.
"We are very happy that they have [VEEP grants] been going out right across the Territory and getting great results."
Deputy Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said she believed the funds should only go to local, small businesses.
"Spending money during tough times is important and economic stimulus is important, but it needs to be done right," she said.
"At the end of the day, we need to ensure that taxpayer's money is spent well, and that it translates into people and visitation into the Territory."
'It looks gold, it's a big change'
On the streets of Darwin, visitors and locals alike told the ABC there was already plenty to recommend.
English tourist Keely said she had been in the NT for six months, and that she would sing the praises of the region's national parks to her family back home.
A Nepalese student similarly said it was the region's "nature" that made the NT an appealing place to visit.
A Darwin local named Lee said he believed more money needed to be spent on beautifying public spaces.
"But you can see what they're doing. It looks gold, it's a big change on a few years ago," he said.
Topics: industry, tourism, travel-and-tourism, nt, darwin-0800
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