TOURISM — STAY,
PLAY AND SAVE CAMPAIGN
128. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant support for the WA tourism industry throughout
the COVID-19 pandemic, which has included incentives and discounts for Western Australians.
Can the minister outline to the house what the government's significant
support package, including its Stay, Play and Save program will mean for
businesses and jobs in Western Australia's tourism industry?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN replied:
I thank the member for Scarborough.
Many people would not know that the member for Scarborough spent most of his
childhood in Mandurah, so he is a Mandurah boy. Now he is the champion of
Scarborough.
It is great to have a question from
the member for Scarborough because this is an important program. As we are
aware, COVID-19 has impacted on tourism in Western Australia, as it has across
the world. Of course, we are doing so very well in many parts of our tourism
sector, including, of course, in the regions with the Wander Out Yonder
campaign, which the former Minister for Tourism launched last year and which
has been an outstanding success. One thing that
we have found in Perth in particular is that many of our hotels have midweek
occupancy rates that are lower than we would want. Yesterday, I launched
on the back of a trike, with a couple of likely looking ''trikists''—for
want of a better word—the Stay, Play and Save campaign. I do not know
whether ''trikists'' was the correct word! I launched the second
phase of the State, Play and Save campaign, which is focused very much on
enticing people to book a midweek stay for two or more nights in hotels in metropolitan
Perth and its surrounds. That will support not only those hotels with bed
numbers, but also, through this second phase of the campaign, a number of our tourism operators who operate
within the Perth CBD and its environs. In addition to the two nights, people will get $200 off their booking. They will
also get two vouchers that allow them to have a mystery experience. I can
tell members that there are some great experiences as part of this package.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN: I seek
protection from my own side!
People can have a great experience
on the trikes that I rode yesterday or go on a segway tour.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN: I am from
Northam, so I pronounce things differently!
Segway tours. They can go on an Eat
the Street walking tour. That is a great tour. I talked yesterday with the
young lady who explained that. It was a great experience. People will also get
a meal at each of the 40 participating hotels, including in the member for
Scarborough's electorate at the Ramada By Wyndham VetroBlu Scarborough
Beach, which is a great hotel.
Mr V.A. Catania: You're
struggling with this portfolio as well, aren't you?
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN:
Pronunciation was never my greatest strength.
This is a very important initiative
for the tourism industry and for Perth in particular. Weekend bookings in our
Perth hotels are going well, but we want to get people out into our city hotels
midweek, and the Stay, Play and Save campaign is focused on doing that. The
first phase of the campaign was very successful. We saw an increase in bed
numbers of several thousand as part of that program and we want to keep doing
that. I ask the member for Scarborough to entice all his friends and family
from the great regional City of Mandurah to make a midweek booking. I ask all
members to do that because that will support our hotel industry in the Perth
CBD and its environs, our excellent experienced tourism operators who operate
in Perth and the Western Australian economy.