Australia’s outback tourism, particularly around iconic landmarks like Uluru, is struggling due to a rise in youth crime in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Tourism operators like Ben Hall, CEO of tour bus company AAT Kings, have reported a noticeable decline in bookings. Hall, whose company operates around 30 buses focusing on tours to Uluru, noted that visitor numbers are down on popular routes from Alice Springs to Uluru. Despite introducing new short-break itineraries, Hall says business remains challenging, with a “softening” in tourist numbers.
Tourism businesses across the “Red Centre,” as the outback is commonly called, report similar downturns. Although multiple factors contribute to the decline, many agree that youth crime in Alice Springs is a primary deterrent. The remote town, with a population of about 40,000, is a popular launch point for outback tours. However, over the past two years, crime involving minors has captured national attention, with escalating political scrutiny at both federal and state levels. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has visited Alice Springs multiple times, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to addressing the issue. Responding to a series of violent incidents involving minors, the Northern Territory government has twice implemented curfews banning underage individuals from the town center at night.
The recent spike in youth crime coincides with the Northern Territory government’s 2022 decision to lift a 15-year alcohol ban in remote Aboriginal communities. The federal government had imposed the ban in 2007 as part of interventions targeting social issues within Aboriginal communities, which comprise about a third of the Northern Territory’s population. Critics, however, labeled these policies as discriminatory, citing their blanket approach. After the ban was lifted, a series of violent incidents followed, with headlines featuring teenagers involved in vehicle thefts and clashes with police in Alice Springs. Data from the Northern Territory’s Department of the Attorney-General and Justice show that violent offenses by youths in the year ending November 2023 surged 50% from 2019-20, reaching 1,182 incidents.
Efforts to curb the crime wave have sparked debate. Some community leaders and legal experts have criticized the territory’s curfews as “draconian” measures that could stigmatize Indigenous communities further. Additionally, human rights advocates accuse the police of disproportionately targeting Indigenous youth, a group already facing one of the world’s highest incarceration rates. The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, a not-for-profit legal service, expressed concern over increased incarceration rates, citing a 22% rise in prison populations from 2018 to 2023.
As Alice Springs grapples with crime and curfews, tourism operators face economic setbacks, particularly during the peak dry season from April to October, a time when outback travel typically flourishes.
