News Articles for Evan Hall

Western Australia will reopen its borders to all states and territories from November 14, but some restrictions will remain for people from NSW and Victoria.

Premier Mark McGowan has brushed aside the findings of a new poll showing most West Australians want him to set a date for reopening state borders.

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia is facing backlash after he said accommodation providers in WA's regions were too full to take in any more from interstate.

The state government has today announced millions of dollars in support for local tourism operators as critics have continued calls for WA to reopen its domestic border.

New tourism data reveals the number of domestic tourists to WA fell 15 per cent in the month of June, the smallest decrease recorded nationally.

Businesses throughout regional Western Australia are being inundated with Perth tourists eager to holiday in their own state.

The state government has set up an advisory group, with executives from more than 20 businesses and community groups, to provide advice on the impacts of COVID-19 and measures to help economic recovery.

The state government has announced millions of dollars in grants for Western Australia's tourism businesses, ahead of a staged reopening of the state's regions and businesses in the coming weeks.

Representatives from the tourism and higher education sectors have today criticised aspects of the federal government's JobKeeper program, voicing concerns that many businesses may not qualify for the wage subsidies.

In a single month, the entire tourism industry has been turned on its head, with operators big and small subject to a harsh new reality.

The state government has urged Western Australian tourism operators to bring forward deals and promotions in support of the local industry, as it launches a ‘Do it in WA' campaign that will use existing funding.

Five Western Australian tourism businesses have received gold medals at the recent 2019 Australian Tourism Awards ceremony, with recognition for best accommodation and food tourism excellence among the winning categories.

As recently as a fortnight ago, industry leaders and government officials were urging caution as the novel coronavirus swept through China, with representatives from Western Australia's tourism and education sectors confident the state was prepared to manage any possible fallout.

UPDATED: The state government has said it will adopt most of the recommendations arising from a parliamentary inquiry into short-term accommodation, with Tourism Council WA and the Australian Hotels Association WA welcoming the pledge to apply more stringent regulation to the sector.

The state government has today pledged to spend $2 million promoting regional tourism and $8 million on aviation, as it ramps-up its response to the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Representatives from Western Australia's education and tourism sectors have expressed cautious optimism the state's institutions are well placed to ride out the effects of the current novel coronavirus outbreak, as the state government pledges $2.9 million in extra funding to aid in combatting the impact it will have on WA's tourism sector.

The state and federal governments today announced the first details of several planned infrastructure projects on Rottnest Island, on the back of $33 million in investments for the island over the next three years.

The Morrison government has announced a suite of measures to immediately support small businesses, non-profit organisations and tourism businesses affected by Australia's bushfires.

Findings released today by Tourism Research Australia show 2.9 million visitors spent a total of $10.9 billion in Western Australia in the year to September 2019, a substantial increase on previous periods.

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia announced a series of marketing campaigns with tourism operators in Germany, Switzerland and the UK in December as part of the state government's $12 million marketing campaign targeting European tourists.

The state government has announced new direct flights between the Philippines and WA beginning in March of next year, with tickets expected to go on sale this month.

Busselton Jetty and Sandalford Wines made big showings at the 47th WA Tourism Awards, picking up several gold awards and distinctions between them.

Perth Airport is paving the way for Western Australia to have a tourism attraction of global significance, setting aside land to facilitate the development of the $510 million Australian Biome Project.

Tourism Council WA has encouraged the state to attract more international students and events, as the state government touted figures from Tourism Research Australia as proof its marketing campaigns were paying off.

UPDATED: A three-year trial to boost rock lobster availability in Western Australia is expected to increase visitor expenditure and grow jobs in marine tourism, though the lobster industry has expressed concern over the changes.

Industry bodies are divided over a plan to increase regulation of short-stay accommodation providers such as Airbnb, with Tourism Council WA and the Australian Hotels Association among supporters of the proposed rules.

The state government has announced that China Eastern Airlines will trial direct flights between Shanghai and Perth in January and February of next year

While WA's tourism industry has steadily recovered in the past year, industry and business leaders continue to debate the best way forward.

Tourism Council WA has put a damper on Tourism Minister Paul Papalia's positive take on new data showing a record number of jobs in the sector, pointing out that growth in tourism jobs in WA was the lowest of any state or territory.

Interstate and intrastate visitors to WA have increased, but international tourists numbers declined slightly, according to the latest data from Tourism Research Australia.

The number of international tourists visiting Western Australia has hit record levels, but overall international visitors to the state, including students, have declined.

Perth's hotel construction boom is entering its final phases, as existing and new operators adjust to a market transformed by the largest pipeline of development in Western Australian history.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt's state budget has delivered a dud for indigenous tourism, with funding slashed by nearly a third despite visitors to the state voicing their desire for authentic Aboriginal experiences.

The state government will assist potential operators of new tourist attractions to navigate the approvals process, following an industry campaign to reduce the red tape stifling the sector.

The federal government has pledged $17.2 million in funding for Rottnest Island, while the state government also announced today it would inject $16.2 million into the holiday destination.

The McGowan government has brought a sudden end to long-running plans for a $28 million wave park on the Swan River, ironically just one day after the Tourism Council WA complained that the wave park was one of 16 new tourist experiences being held up by government red tape.

Premier Mark McGowan and Tourism Minister Paul Papalia have unveiled a $12 million spending boost for tourism and events marketing, but there remains a gap between Western Australia's total tourism budget and those of the big-spending eastern states.

More than a third of visitors to Western Australia who used Airbnb said they would never have had a holiday if it wasn't for the online home-share platform, the company asserted today, as it fought back against criticism by Tourism Council WA and the Australian Hotels Association.

Western Australia's peak tourism body has called for greater restrictions on short-stay accommodation providers claiming residential properties on Airbnb do not increase visitation to the state.

The state government and the Western Rock Lobster Council have reached a comprise on the future of the industry, with the annual catch to increase by just 315 tonnes. However, details of how this will be delivered to the local market have not yet been worked out.