Kakadu Tourism Sales & Marketing Manager, Sam Hartley, asks to please travel and keep our industry strong.
“We’re all in this together and the whole nation will benefit from Australians travelling,” Sam said.
Find out what else Sam had to say in this week’s Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
Creating awareness and interest in visiting Kakadu National Park, and helping convey the richness of a destination that has over 65,000 years of Indigenous history and culture. The landscape is spectacular, but appreciating Kakadu goes far deeper. In some ways, because Kakadu is a far more complex and multi-faceted destination than, say, a beach or city destination, the job is far more difficult – but also far more rewarding. I just love to tell the story of Kakadu and its people and highlight the array of experiences that visitors can do in this amazing place.
How have you tackled the difficulties caused by COVID-19?
Yes, like all travel destinations we were hit hard by COVID. In fact, in the depth of Covid, we weren’t sure whether we could keep the hotels and tours open during the wet season, but thanks to the NT Government’s voucher scheme and pent-up domestic desire to tick Kakadu off many travellers’ bucket lists, we, in the end, had one of our best-ever wet seasons and the prospects for the peak dry season is looking very good.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Sharing a destination and its wonders to people so they can fully immerse themselves and enjoy all the hidden gems they wouldn’t normally be privy to. I am passionate about travel as I believe it really is food for the soul.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession (outside of COVID-19)?
There is never enough time in the day, I want to work on everything all at once. I would really like to see Kakadu become a prime destination for educational tours, for adventure travellers, for experiential travel, for bush foods – really there is just so much potential, but a limited number of hours.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
We have been extremely lucky compared to most other countries and whilst we only have 40% of the population travelling currently, I think keeping the border situation more consistent will help us rebuild much quicker and create more confidence for people to travel. People want to travel, want to experience local destinations such as Kakadu and the Top End, and we just need to make it easier for them. That’s why we have flexible cancellation policies and we try and do what we can to make it less stressful for travellers.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months’?
Borders reopening internationally. Once the vaccines are completed, I think we will see more and more bubbles opening, and destinations that have wide open spaces, that are nature-based and have a deeper cultural and heritage level will be top of the list for international travellers.
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
I think we will see more workcations, I know it’s been big during Covid but I think it will continue to grow bigger as more people are still working from home and they don’t need to be situated in one place. People will start to explore alternative living arrangements so they can experience different destinations. We have seen a great deal of this in Darwin, it is incredibly hard to get rental properties here as everyone has cottoned on to what a fabulous lifestyle we have in the NT.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try to implement this in your workplace?
I am a lot more versed in responsible travel having moved to Darwin and working very closely with Indigenous people. We are 100% indigenous owned and we are in one of the most sacred places on earth. The traditional owners of our properties have a remarkable heritage that we must respect and their families have lived there for generations, longer than any living indigenous culture on earth. This is pretty significant. We work very closely in collaboration with the traditional owners on everything we do. For example, I am putting together a photoshoot for our Taste of Kakadu Event starting on the 28th of May and I will consult and gain an understanding of what they would like filmed, who I can film and so on. Preserving their way of life, their country and family structures are extremely important to them and therefore have to be top of our priority list in all the ways we operate in Kakadu.
Who inspires you most and why?
My husband. He sees something he wants and goes for it, with no doubts, just a forward momentum, and slowly but surely he achieves. No second guessing or wondering. There is no alternative and he gives things everything he has and then some.
What is your must pack travel item(s)?
My gym clothes and swimmers, I love to swim and try and stay healthy when I am travelling, I also love to hike and an outdoors lifestyle.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
My grandparents, they are not long for this world, both in their 90s but they are so much fun and I want to soak up every last bit of them before I can’t anymore. They had 12 children and have travelled the world every year (except 2020) since they were in their 50’s. They have so many stories to share and they are just awesome people and a lot of laughs.
Email – sales@kakadutourism.com
