WALKING ON A DREAM CAMPAIGN
550. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's investment in driving our tourism industry and its efforts
to diversify the Western Australian economy.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the new tourism brand for Western Australia and
outline what it will mean for WA tourism operators and businesses?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house what other measures this government is taking to
drive WA's tourism sector to beyond pre-pandemic levels?
Mr R.H.
COOK replied:
I thank the member for the question.
In particular, I note the important role that Albany, and the south west region
generally, plays in the McGowan government's new tourism strategy.
(1)–(2) The
past few years have been unlike any that the tourism sector has ever
confronted. It has been a tough period and the sector has shown great
resilience. I want to acknowledge every participant in the tourism industry
that has endured this period.
We know that it is time for a refresh.
The latest Tourism Research Australia figures show that the number of interstate visitors to Western Australia has
increased from pre-COVID times. In June, 162 000 interstate visitors
entered WA, which is an increase of 28 per cent, or 35 000 people. In contrast,
interstate visitor numbers have been falling
in every other state. We also note that forward bookings for international
arrivals from key markets—the
US, the UK and New Zealand—are looking to get back to pre-COVID levels
by the end of the year. That is why getting our message out is so
crucial.
In
2019, tourism was a $13.5 billion industry employing 100 000 Western Australians,
so we know we have to get it right. That is why our new Walking on a Dream
campaign is so important. It is a quintessentially Western Australian campaign
because WA's landscapes, destinations and cultures cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The Walking on a Dream
campaign, supported by the McGowan government's $195 million
Reconnect WA package, was shot on location with a WA-led film crew, developed
by a WA-based creative organisation, to the sounds of the reimagined Walking
on a Dream by WA-raised Empire of the Sun frontman Luke Steele and his
musical partner Nick Littlemore. It is a locally made showcase of Western Australia's
unique destinations, experiences and heritage. It was inspired by WA's
unique Aboriginal culture in an artistic, authentic way, in line with our $20 million
Jina plan to make WA the premier Aboriginal tourism destination and our
Indigenous tourism product the beating heart of our tourism strategy and
industry. Thanks to the fantastic talents of two WA-born Aboriginal performers,
Rika Hamaguchi and Ian Wilkes, and the input of WA's Aboriginal tourism
sector and Aboriginal elders from across the communities, the campaign has
managed to capture this sentiment well.
The campaign will underpin Tourism WA's
marketing activities for the next five years and run across our 11 key overseas markets. It will not only
showcase our unique tourism identity, but also make our state truly
shine in a crowded global marketplace and elevate WA as a destination of choice
for travellers, both interstate and international.
The McGowan government is making sure
that it is not only easier than ever to experience the best that WA has to
offer but that our tourism sector is equipped to handle activity well beyond
pre-pandemic levels. Initiatives such as the recent and incredibly popular
Qantas Dream of WA flight sale offers, the $3.9 million tourism workforce
development program, the new local capability funding round for the Discover
the Other Side recruitment campaign, and the return of cruise shipping are just
a few examples of how we are coming back stronger than ever. As tourism
minister, I am immensely proud of this unique and visionary Walking on a Dream
tourism brand as we look to re-engage WA with the world to build an even stronger and more diversified economy for the
benefit of all Western Australian businesses, operators and people.