Military Tourism Push as Territory Readies for Pitch Black
Finocchiaro CLP Government launches new national military tourism campaign, as part of our strategy to grow the visitor economy.As the home of Exercise Pitch Black, the Territory is attracting global attention and turning it into tourism opportunity.We're positioning the Territory as a destination of choice for visitors and investors by leveraging international events and playing to our strengths.
No other part of Australia has borne the brunt of war as brutally as the Top End, where 84 years ago, the Bombing of Darwin saw the city become Australia's first wartime battlefront. These events left an indelible mark and a wealth of tangible, yet often under-discovered military heritage sites across the Northern Territory.
There was no more fitting place than the Darwin Military Museum to launch the Territory's new military tourism campaign. The campaign features an AI-powered trip planner that allows visitors to 'Plot Your Course Through History' and build an itinerary of new experiences, iconic sites and hidden gems.
Exercise Pitch Black also returns this year from 20 July to 7 August, once again placing the Territory in the global spotlight. The 2024 exercise drew record crowds, with tens of thousands visiting the Top End. This year, the 10th Darwin Street Art Festival will unveil a new military heritage trail, featuring a major mural at the Darwin Military Museum.
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Marie-Clare Boothby launched the new campaign today, saying that there has never been a better time to promote the Territory's military heritage than right now.
"The world is taking notice of the Territory. The New York Times has named the NT the number one place in Australia to visit in 2026. And as Pitch Black brings over 4,000 international personnel from 20 nations to Darwin, we have the perfect opportunity to showcase our unique military history to the world."
"From Darwin Street Art Festival in May to Pitch Black in July, we are leveraging every opportunity to showcase the Territory's military heritage, and to grow our visitor economy."
"Just the other day, I spoke to a cruise ship passenger who told me that it was our military history which drew him and his wife to the city - and the crocs, of course," Minister Boothby said. "Military history is an untapped niche that visitors won't find at their next stop in Cairns, Broome or Bali."
"With more bombs dropped on Darwin than at Pearl Harbor, the Territory's wartime history is unlike anywhere else in Australia."
Dr Norman Cramp is the Director of the Darwin Military Museum and has long championed military tourism in the Top End. He welcomed the campaign as an exciting opportunity to tell our military story.
"From airfields and street art to artefacts and battlefield bunkers, the Territory has it all when it comes to immersive military tourism experiences. We know it, and now the rest of the country is going to know it too, especially with ANZAC Day and Pitch Black just a matter of months away."
The campaign is designed to convert national and international attention into extended stays, regional dispersal and increased visitor spend.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government made military tourism a priority commitment, investing $3 million to boost military tourism and developing a Military Heritage Tourism Action Plan in consultation with a new Military Heritage Tourism Advisory Committee.
"We said we'd put military tourism back on the map, and we're doing just that," Minister Boothby said, adding, "In our year of growth, certainty, and security, we are playing to our strengths, backing local businesses and turning global attention into real economic outcomes for Territorians."
https://nt.gov.au/
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