Tourists fear visiting The Alice

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21663191-2,00.html

Quote:

CHANNEL Seven's Today Tonight program has destroyed hopes for Alice Spring's upcoming tourist season, the Central Australian Tourism Industry Association (CATIA) said.

Last night Today Tonight painted Alice Springs as a city of sin and a place where many residents were too scared to leave their homes.

CATIA manager Craig Catcholove said the "murder capital of Australia" tag could not have been publicised at a worse time.

He said Tourism NT was just about to launch a $2 million tourism campaign - the biggest ever to showcase Central Australia.

But all that work and money had now been crushed, he claimed.

He said dozens of emails had been received after the program was aired.

"We have had caravaners asking us what time they should lock themselves in so they won't get bashed," Mr Catchlove said.

"And convention visitors are calling to see if it is still safe to come - we are very worried about it."

Mr Catchlove said CATIA did not deny that Alice Springs had violence issues.

But he said Today Tonight had portrayed the town in an unfair light.

He said it didn't show the anti-crime programs that police, government and the community had been working on in the last fortnight.

"Police are making foot patrols and this has really tackled the youth gang issue head-on.

"Unfortunately, tourists will get hold of the "murder capital of Australia" heading.

"We have our fingers crossed and we're hoping that today's news is tomorrow's fish wrappers."

Mr Catchlove said visitors were safe in Alice Springs.

ZOMG! everybody knows! when i type: murder capital of australia into google, i get:

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,260,000 for murder capital of Australia. (0.11 seconds)

!!!!!!!

Bah hah hah....

it's good that alice is getting some publicity... takes the heat of palmy! :)

Longest I've dared stop there is a change of flights :p

Still doesnt change the fact there is nothing to do there so why would you wanna visit.

nothing to do there? it's a bit of a hub for the simpson desert area.

the macdonnell ranges are strangely impressive, ormiston gorge, finke river, gemtree caravan park in harts range, ross river homestead. hell even the old telegraph station is worth doing, so is walking the larapinta trail.

there's plenty to do in and around alice, at least as much as there is to do in and around darwin. the only thing it's really lacking is a decent restaurant district :)

Surrounding areas great palli ive been all around there travelled with my dad, I mean the town itself is dead il give them some credit they have greatly improved since last year but still dead.

I was born and grew up there. Plenty to do in and around Alice. Its just the now generation that want all their entertainment delivered on a plate. Get out and make your own. As to why would people visit, Paladin has listed about 5% of the reasons people visit. Fact is that there is shitloads more to do there than here for tourists.

heh i lived there from year 8 to 12 (er, 91-95?). i never had a problem entertaining myself, either alone or as a group of friends. there's shitloads of fun to be had in endless scrubland :)

Google is giving me more Adelaide results than any other city :p

Alice is fine. It has its problems but from a bloke thats lived there on and off for 19 years, worked down there I can tell you that the program blew it out of proportion big time.

Quote from SpongeBobSquarePants;306607:
Alice is fine. It has its problems but from a bloke thats lived there on and off for 19 years, worked down there I can tell you that the program blew it out of proportion big time. are you accusing them of being sensationalistic? No way man, I won't believe that of those shows! - sell their own mothers to feed their Australia's Worst Crack Habit? Absolutely. But sensationalism, I just can't accept!

Just finished my meal at a place called Rudi?s Trattoria & Pizzeria here in Alice. I have to say their Calzone is the best I've ever had. Not only is it delicious but its HUGE-MUNGAS!! :D Probably worth coming down to Alice for this alone. Oh yeah they also have the Overlander steakhouse for steaks and La Casalinga for snitzel and spaghetti. All good food down here!

An easy solution, get the people of Alice Springs to go beat the **** out of the Today Tonight staff and force Today Tonight to air that they were wrong and Alice Springs is the nicest place in Australia :).

Or watch Chasers War on Everything to see just how good Today Tonight is :P

hey saw a similar story on media watch last night
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1910531.htm

basically about the herold sun's main picture been a dried up river when theres like 1.5m of water. Deniliquin had people cancelling bookings to do and stay there.