Norfolk Island - Not Drowning, Waving

Recent articles in the mainland press suggesting the imminent demise of Norfolk Island are premature.  Norfolk Island is clearly experiencing difficult times and given that its main (only) industry is tourism, it's a situation shared with many parts of Australia where tourism is the dominant industry. There's no doubt our government was slow to read the signs and slow to react. The Commonwealth is now involved and that's a positive development, although not all locals would share this view.  Air New Zealand now flys from Aussie to Norfolk, and while you'll have to suffer the safety briefing from this rugby obsessed mob - and yes we know you won the World Cup (who could forget) what is it again, the land of the long quite loud?

Main street Norfolk is quiet and retail is doing it tough but throughout Australia, and indeed the world, consumers are tightening their purse strings. Even on-line shopping, the new engine room of retailing, has experienced a slow down in growth. That's cold comfort but it's the way it is.

The tourism industry is a tough game; deals are everywhere; promotional dollars are being thrown at the problem throughout the country. Norfolk finds it difficult to match the marketing $$ of the big players. Against this background though Norfolk Island still has the product, and it's a unique product, and what's more we get many people coming back for more. What they get for their money is sometimes difficult to describe in a marketing world which often focuses on wow factors, bangs for bucks and artificial attractions.

Norfolk Island is a simple place with sometimes indefinable qualities. We don't have the biggest this, or the fastest that, we don't have the glitzsiest hotel or the fanciest casino. But if you come to Norfolk Island you will enjoy it and, statistically, you will be in the majority who come back for more. So we are not drowning, and if you drive down our main street or around our little island on our windy, bumpy, much patched roads, we will be waving to you.

So C'mon - tweet like you've never tweeted before!