PERTH’S $5.5 million Belltower development seems to be paying dividends for businesses around Barrack Street jetty.
Up to 3,000 people per day are taking advantage of free tours of the site. As of January 8, 74,625 people had been through it. From April, visitors will be charged an average $5.
Barrack Street jetty businesses such as the Moorings Café and Barnacles Kiosk are reporting noticeable improvements to their trade, even though this is traditionally their busiest time.
From Moorings, the extra trade is translating through to more coffees sold while Barnacles’ Nigel Barr said he was busiest around lunchtime.
“The improvement is not absolutely fantastic but I don’t think all the tour buses have kicked in yet,” Mr Barr said.
Even the Transperth ferries from South Perth are busier than normal.
Perth Water Transport operations manager Colin Brown said the ferries were busier than they had been for some time.
“We’re running two boats per trip and we haven’t done that for three or four years,” Mr Brown said.
“Our busiest time is lunchtime when the bells are ringing.”