Kimberley tourism operators face unnecessary cancellations

Tourism Council WA is urging holidaymakers to keep their bookings in Kimberley towns unaffected by the floods after operators were hit with unnecessary cancellations.

The state’s tourism body is attributing extensive media coverage of the floods to travellers cancelling their bookings in unaffected towns.

Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said the economic impact of natural disasters was often compounded by unnecessary travel cancellations.  

“Broome and Kununurra are both open for business and will be providing fantastic travel experiences for visitors throughout the upcoming peak season,” he said.

“Air travel to Broome and Kununurra will remain unimpacted by the floods, allowing visitors to fly in and enjoy these great destinations.

“Long-distance tours may be affected by road access, and we encourage anyone with a multi-day tour booking to contact their tour operator to receive accurate information on road accessibility before unnecessarily cancelling.”

Mr Hall said this was the fourth season Kimberley tourism operators had faced disruptions.

“The Kimberley is a seasonal destination, with the season starting in the Easter school holidays and peaking in June and July,” he said.

“This will be the fourth season in a row that tourism operators have faced disruptions due to COVID-19 and now unnecessary booking cancellations.”

Mr Hall said it was important businesses were kept up to date.

“Tourism businesses need regular updates from the State Government so they can provide accurate information to guests regarding any impact of the floods on visitation in the Kimberley,” he said.