❓ Mr. Hughes asks about the impact of the McGowan Labor government's tourism action plan on attracting international holiday-makers and its economic benefits. The Minister responds positively, highlighting record growth in international holiday-makers and spending, attributing it to the government's initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 479Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM — TWO-YEAR
ACTION PLAN
479. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Tourism:
My question may interest the member
for Vasse. I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to
supporting business and creating jobs for its record investment in tourism and
the implementation of its two-year action plan. Can the minister advise the
house how these efforts have attracted a record number of international
holiday-makers to Western Australia, and can the minister outline what these
record tourism figures have meant for the Western Australian economy?
ACTION PLAN
479. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Tourism:
My question may interest the member
for Vasse. I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to
supporting business and creating jobs for its record investment in tourism and
the implementation of its two-year action plan. Can the minister advise the
house how these efforts have attracted a record number of international
holiday-makers to Western Australia, and can the minister outline what these
record tourism figures have meant for the Western Australian economy?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and for his strong advocacy for tourism businesses in his electorate. I do not
think I have ever been to Kalamunda as many times as I have in the last 12 months.
The member is an incredibly strong advocate for the tourism industry in the
hills. It makes a nice change for them.
The
latest International Visitor Survey results confirm that Western Australia
again leads the nation in growth in the number of international
holiday-makers. There was an extraordinary 9.3 per cent growth to 493 100
international holiday-makers. It is the largest number of international
holiday-makers that Western Australia has ever seen. It was the strongest
year-on-year growth of all Australian states and territories. It was almost
three times the national average of growth of holiday-makers coming to this
state. It is most impressive when we contemplate that during the boom, under
the previous government, leisure travel collapsed. There were no holiday-makers
coming to Western Australia because people were coming for the boom. It was
business related. It was people visiting friends and relatives associated with
the boom, but our leisure market collapsed. We are growing it from scratch and
we are leading the nation in that growth. That is a good thing.
International
holiday-makers' spend is up 14.8 per cent to $801 million—again,
the highest international holiday-maker spend in Western Australian history. It confirms that the government's
support for the tourism industry in the two- year action plan is on track
and is working. Additional marketing activities and a strong events program is
bringing more leisure visitors to fill our hotels, restaurants and cafes, and
supporting tourism industries. This is what holiday-makers do. These are the
people who stay in the hotels, not the people who visit friends and relatives.
Other sectors in international
visitor measurements are a bit flat; they are a little down. Looking at where a
lot of our visiting friends and relatives come from, for instance, the biggest
proportion of any is the UK. There is a bit of concern in the UK at the moment
about Brexit. I suspect that is playing on people's minds. People are
probably thinking, ''I won't go and visit uncle and aunty this
year in Perth. I might wait and see whether Boris destroys the country!''
I think that is what is going on. That may be having an impact. We have
recognised that. We are about to double the international marketing spend over
the next 12 months—$12 million in the next 12 or 13 months. That is
double what we normally spend selling Western Australia to the world. It will
have an impact. We are doing it in the markets in which we can shift that
immediate movement of visitors. Singapore and Malaysia are two big markets. The
UK is another big market. Germany, the US, New Zealand, Hong Kong and
Indonesia, those sorts of places, will all get a doubling of the spend. I look
forward to future growth in the near term in all of our categories of
international visitors. It is wonderful to see that the international holiday
market in Western Australia is growing at the fastest rate in the nation.
and for his strong advocacy for tourism businesses in his electorate. I do not
think I have ever been to Kalamunda as many times as I have in the last 12 months.
The member is an incredibly strong advocate for the tourism industry in the
hills. It makes a nice change for them.
The
latest International Visitor Survey results confirm that Western Australia
again leads the nation in growth in the number of international
holiday-makers. There was an extraordinary 9.3 per cent growth to 493 100
international holiday-makers. It is the largest number of international
holiday-makers that Western Australia has ever seen. It was the strongest
year-on-year growth of all Australian states and territories. It was almost
three times the national average of growth of holiday-makers coming to this
state. It is most impressive when we contemplate that during the boom, under
the previous government, leisure travel collapsed. There were no holiday-makers
coming to Western Australia because people were coming for the boom. It was
business related. It was people visiting friends and relatives associated with
the boom, but our leisure market collapsed. We are growing it from scratch and
we are leading the nation in that growth. That is a good thing.
International
holiday-makers' spend is up 14.8 per cent to $801 million—again,
the highest international holiday-maker spend in Western Australian history. It confirms that the government's
support for the tourism industry in the two- year action plan is on track
and is working. Additional marketing activities and a strong events program is
bringing more leisure visitors to fill our hotels, restaurants and cafes, and
supporting tourism industries. This is what holiday-makers do. These are the
people who stay in the hotels, not the people who visit friends and relatives.
Other sectors in international
visitor measurements are a bit flat; they are a little down. Looking at where a
lot of our visiting friends and relatives come from, for instance, the biggest
proportion of any is the UK. There is a bit of concern in the UK at the moment
about Brexit. I suspect that is playing on people's minds. People are
probably thinking, ''I won't go and visit uncle and aunty this
year in Perth. I might wait and see whether Boris destroys the country!''
I think that is what is going on. That may be having an impact. We have
recognised that. We are about to double the international marketing spend over
the next 12 months—$12 million in the next 12 or 13 months. That is
double what we normally spend selling Western Australia to the world. It will
have an impact. We are doing it in the markets in which we can shift that
immediate movement of visitors. Singapore and Malaysia are two big markets. The
UK is another big market. Germany, the US, New Zealand, Hong Kong and
Indonesia, those sorts of places, will all get a doubling of the spend. I look
forward to future growth in the near term in all of our categories of
international visitors. It is wonderful to see that the international holiday
market in Western Australia is growing at the fastest rate in the nation.
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