The Northern Territory is on Kiwi radars, with an increasing number of Kiwis seeking out a ‘raw, real and refreshingly unpolished’ Australian getaway.
Staci Mellman, chief marketing officer for Tourism and Events NT says Kiwi travel to the NT is booming, up 15% year-on-year to Jun 2025, and tracking upwards into 2026, as she says more New Zealanders look to experience ‘the real Australia’. “Our biggest visitors right now are 50+ high-value travellers chasing the real adventure and wide-open spaces that the NT offers in abundance,” she says. “They’re road-tripping the Outback, cruising Kakadu’s floodplains, journeying on The Ghan and floating above the desert at sunrise.” Luxury Outback lodges such as Finniss River Lodge and Bamurru Plains, which offer ‘that Yellowstone-but-Aussie feel’ are suddenly in huge demand. The trade distribution, too, has played a role, and Tourism NT says it will continue to invest in the trade in an effort to keep this momentum going. For 2026 the STO will be ‘doubling down’ on converting curiosity into actual bookings, Mellman adds. The goal is to make the NT a ‘must-do’ for a real Aussie holiday, and she says agents remain crucial. “They have the relationship with Kiwi travellers, and we’ll keep giving them the tools, training and famils to confidently sell the NT.”
A Northern Territory Roadshow, is planned in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch 10-12 Feb next year. Mellman says the events will offer the best chance for agents to meet operators, hear what’s new, and get insider tips straight from the NT’s front line.
. . . Trade Training
Agents are also encouraged to join Tourism NT’s Trade Training Program and Aboriginal Tourism Product Awareness Program webinars which also offer agents the chance to win a famil.
Register for the roadshow HERE, the training program HERE and the Aboriginal product program HERE.
