Barnett blames boom for poor WA tourism

Barnett blames boom for poor WA tourism
By Hannah Edensor


West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has blamed poor tourism figures on the state’s geographical isolation and the mining boom muscling visitors out of hotels.

Mr Barnett said an influx of mining workers paired with the state’s relative isolation were the main factors for WA having the lowest tourist spending growth in Australia.

“When mining activity was at its peak two to three years ago, you could barely get a hotel room in Perth,” Mr Barnett said.

“To make a decision to fly three or four thousand kilometres across the country is a big decision and an expensive one. There are some natural barriers that we face but our (tourism) industry is growing particularly into South East Asia.”

WA’s tourist expenditure grew by 1.2 per cent last financial year compared to the national average of 11.5 per cent, according to International Visitor Survey data.

The Australian Hotels Association has blamed the lacklustre growth on inadequate state government funding and too much focus by Tourism Australia on attracting visitors to the east coast.

AHA chief executive Bradley Woods said the WA government needed to increase its destination advertising budget by tens of millions of dollars.

“WA tourism is being held back,” Woods said.

Mr Barnett conceded Perth’s tourism infrastructure was lacking compared to the rest of the nation, but said projects including Elizabeth Quay and Perth Stadium could change that.

Visitor numbers to WA lifted by four per cent last financial year compared to an eight per cent rise in Queensland, a six per cent increase in NSW and a 22 per cent surge in Tasmania.

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