As part of this year’s October Business Month event, the Territory Government will launch a new Book Now Digital Support Program to offer eligible tourism businesses grants of up to $5,000 in matched funding to deliver business improvements that will make it easier for consumers to book online.
The $400,000 program aims to help tourism businesses evaluate their online presence and implement changes. Each eligible tourism business will undertake an online assessment, which will be further analysed by Tourism NT.
Being instantly bookable is a critical element of meeting customer expectations.
According to a recent Phocuswright study, 50.6 per cent of Australian consumers are booking their travel online, suggesting that if businesses are not offering simple booking processes via their websites or social platforms including Google, Facebook and Instagram, they could be missing out on close to half of their potential revenue.
Applications for the Book Now Digital Support Program open 1 October and close 30 October 2020. For more information and to apply, go to tourismnt.com.au
A series of seminars, called Tourism Connect will provide hands-on, practical assistance tailored for tourism businesses.
To view the October Business Month calendar of events and to register, click here: obm.nt.gov.au
Quotes from Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Natasha Fyles
“The global pandemic has caused a lot of hurt for our tourism and hospitality operators. We know it’s been hard and as a government we are doing everything we can to support our operators.
“Following the launch of the Territory Tourism Voucher, we’ve learned that we need to improve our tourism industry’s ability to provide bookable products and experiences across all digital channels.
“The new Book Now Digital Support Program will deliver immediate benefits to the tourism sector, by helping tourism businesses to analyse and implement changes that will prepare businesses for the rebound and increase sales.”
Media Contact:
Paige Nguyen 0428 727 244
paige.nguyen@nt.gov.au