A new scheme to get more people visiting a region in Australia is being touted by a tourism board, with Aussies being offered free interstate flights — but there’s a big catch.

Tourism Central Australia and NT have launched a new campaign to get more travellers to visit the Red Centre by offering free inbound flights.

But in order to cash in on the offer, you have to stay in Alice Springs for at least two nights.

The town of Alice Springs has a reputation for criminal activity and anti-social behaviour which has made it a miss for tourists in years gone by.

The area has even been listed among the world’s most dangerous places, ranking alongside Tijuana and Cape Town in the 2024 Crime Index by City, published by data website, Numbeo.

But the tourist board is hoping to spin its reputation on its head and attract more travellers this summer.

The campaign, dubbed Fly Free to Alice, is offering to reimburse travellers up to $750 of the cost of their airfare and include departures from Perth as well as Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney.

Prospective travellers can cash in on the offer when purchasing a featured holiday package through NT Now and Australian retail travel agents and can choose from more than twenty itineraries, including a sunrise balloon flight, outback horse trekking and camel rides.

Tourism Central Australia CEO Danial Rochford said the campaign was focused on getting more travellers to discover what Central Australia actually has to offer.

“Fly Free to Alice removes one of the biggest barriers to travel and allows visitors to put more of their holiday budget into what they’re actually coming here for — more nights on the ground, local experiences and discovering more of Central Australia,” Mr Rochford said.

The offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis with a limited number of tickets being subsidised by the tourist board.

Bookings are open from now until 30 November 2026, unless sold out prior, with travel valid from 1 August 2026 to 31 January 2027.