CORONAVIRUS — TOURISM — RELOOK AND BOOK
CAMPAIGN
342. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing support for workers and businesses in Western Australia's
tourism industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Can the minister outline to
the house how the government's Relook and Book campaign has supported Western
Australia's tourism providers and helped support jobs in the sector,
and can the minister advise the house how the McGowan Labor government
continues to encourage Western Australians to travel throughout our state and
support local regional economies?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN replied:
I thank the member for Kimberley
for her continued interest in the importance of our tourism industry,
particularly in regional Western Australia during the COVID-19 challenge that
we, of course, face. As the member knows very well,
in regional Western Australia, because of the government's very strong
commitments to ensuring that the state is kept safe, there has been an
outstanding number of people moving within the state. In regional Western Australia,
including the Kimberley region, we have had record numbers of Western Australians
exploring the regions. That has happened in all our regions throughout Western Australia.
When interstate restrictions have
been put in place, as we have seen with the states that are currently
experiencing COVID-19 infections, such as New South Wales and Queensland, and
recently in Victoria in particular, the impact has been cancellations by
interstate visitors. We developed a program that the member highlighted, which
is, of course, the Relook and Book program. We want to backfill those vacancies
that have been created because of the cancellations
from interstate visitors. In the first 24 hours, the uptake was outstanding.
The encouragement of people in Western
Australia to relook at booking a holiday and associated experiences in the
regions was encouraged and included the offer through Webjet of some 3 000
flight bookings with a discount of $100, which I understand are now almost sold
out. This demonstrates that Western Australians understand that they can play a
big part in supporting regional businesses, be they businesses directly
involved in tourism or because of the attraction of a particular community.
I encourage all Western Australians
during this time, if they want to get out into the regions, to relook at the
availability of both accommodation and experiences. When Western Australians
book accommodation, whether it be in Kalbarri, the Kimberley, the south west or
other parts of the state, we want them also to look at the suite of options
available in terms of experiences. That is one area in which there has been an
impact. We want to encourage people not only to book a holiday in those places
and to take advantage of the $100 subsidy that I mentioned with Webjet, but also, while they are staying there, to
book an experience. It might be an Indigenous experience or a whale
shark experience if they are in Ningaloo. It is because that will all assist
and help maintain those businesses.
Of
course, as the member for Kimberley would know, the National Visitor Survey
showed that almost eight million trips were taken by intrastate
travellers within the state between July 2020 and April 2021. Visitors took up
the urge to Wander out Yonder. That supports
regional economies and will ensure that regional economies continue to prosper.
But if people are intending to get out into
the regions—and we encourage people to do that—please make sure
you also book those experiences. That
will assist the tourist operators who provide experiences in regional Western Australia.
I thank the member for Kimberley, and all members in the regions, for their
ongoing advocacy for businesses in those communities. The tourism industry and
associated hospitality businesses are very, very important for local economies
and we need to entice intrastate visitation and ask that they increase their
spend while they are in those communities because that will continue to assist
those communities to remain strong.