Tourism priorities for growth

Chair of Tourism WA Kate Lamont has outlined her board’s development priorities for the state as part of aspirations to double the tourism industry’s contribution to gross state product by the year 2020.

Speaking at the inaugural Tourism Council WA conference, Ms Lamont also projected the current lack of hotel accommodation would cost the state economy hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade.

Ms Lamont said while tourism already delivered $7.31 billion towards gross state product and accounted for 80,000 jobs, the board believed more could be achieved.

“Our aspiration, which comes from consultation with industry last year, is to double the tourism industry’s contribution to gross state product by the year 2020, which will necessitate doubling the rate of growth from 4 per cent to 8 per cent,” she said.

“The board’s vision for tourism is to become a driving force in the Western Australian economy.”

In order to meet these aspirations, Ms Lamont outlined the board’s top 15 development priorities, starting with an international airport in Margaret River and ensuring Broome becomes a genuine northern hub and aviation gateway to valuable Asian markets.

Key hotel and highly sought after eco-based accommodation developments across Perth and regional WA were also prominently featured, ranging from the Perth Waterfront and Rottnest Island to the Ningaloo coast and The Waterfront at Albany.

She said a combination of factors beyond improving aviation access and accommodation would help reach the board’s substantial goals.

These included making WA known for its indigenous connection to country, a greater focus on marketing and events, delivering exceptional customer service, improving the vibrancy of Perth, and genuinely getting decision makers across government to understand the value of tourism.

Quoting a recent Tourism WA-commissioned Access Economics report, which shows that a lack of hotel rooms “will severely impact the entire state’s capacity to grow all business within our diversified economy”, Ms Lamont highlighted the impact from soaring occupancy rates in Perth.

“As hotel occupancy is so constrained, so too is tourism and business expenditure with an annual loss of $50 million in 2011-12, estimated to grow to $660 million in real terms by 2019-20,” she said.

“The loss in gross state product over the next decade is estimated at $435 million.”

Pinctada Resorts founder, Marilynne Paspaley admitted to experiencing extreme difficulties but was excited by her appointment last week as chair of the Kimberley National Landscape Steering Committee, WA’s first region in the Commonwealth’s National Landscapes Program, which highlights iconic destinations across Australia.

“It’s about recognising that to market Australia it has to be focussed and not scatter gun; you can’t be shooting out everywhere trying to bring everyone in the world here,” she said.

“And I understand, the Ningaloo and the South West (hope to join the Landscapes program).’’

Tourism Australia managing director, Andrew McEvoy was equally buoyant about previous domestic research which highlighted Australian consumers’ appeal towards Margaret River, Ningaloo and the Kimberley.

“There isn’t an Australian that doesn’t say ‘I would love to go there’,” he said.

“I would argue that WA, with 100 per cent appeal for three destinations that we tested, has a communication opportunity to get more people from the east coast to show up.”