International tourism to Western Australia is on the rise, new research says, but the head of the state's top tourism body says an increase in business travel is masking the poor performance of the leisure tourism sector.
Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey showed international tourism to WA was up 5.3 per cent in 2010-11, due to a 22 per cent increase in business travel, while leisure tourism was only up 2.5 per cent.
Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall warned the growth in business travel could not be sustained without investment in new hotel rooms and meeting space.
“Hotels in Perth are fully booked with business travellers and we’re running out of space for conventions, conferences and trade exhibitions.
“International business tourism is growing at 22 per cent a year, but we haven’t built any new rooms to cater for them.”
Mr Hall said the soaring business travel was also masking the poor result for leisure tourism in Western Australia.
“We’re not bringing enough international tourists in to cover all the Western Australians heading to Bali,” he said.
“We must get these business travellers to bring their families with them to WA and stay for a holiday after their business conferences.”
