❓ Mr Redman questions the Tourism Minister's decision to partner with Wotif, an overseas booking platform, despite advocating for supporting local businesses. The Minister defends the decision, citing the need to adapt to the digital world and the limited scope of the partnership within the overall tourism campaign.
AnsweredQoN 647Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM —
ACCOMMODATION — OVERSEAS BOOKING PLATFORMS
647. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the minister's
comments on Tuesday that Western Australian holiday-makers should use common
sense by supporting locals and booking directly with accommodation providers.
Why has the minister now struck a deal with Seattle-based booking platform
Wotif to promote discounted accommodation bookings at the expense of local
booking agents and accommodation providers?
ACCOMMODATION — OVERSEAS BOOKING PLATFORMS
647. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the minister's
comments on Tuesday that Western Australian holiday-makers should use common
sense by supporting locals and booking directly with accommodation providers.
Why has the minister now struck a deal with Seattle-based booking platform
Wotif to promote discounted accommodation bookings at the expense of local
booking agents and accommodation providers?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and for his passionate and genuine advocacy on behalf of travel agencies, as
opposed to some of the advocacy that comes from elsewhere on the other side of
the chamber. Travel agents are confronted by a terrible situation—it is
terrible. All the descriptors remain absolutely relevant for them, including
unprecedented and diabolical. I have met with travel agents a few times in my
office and they have told me that up to 90 per cent of their revenue was
generated by Western Australians travelling overseas. Clearly, the moment that
the federal government shut the international borders, that market evaporated.
That is a terrible thing. I have advocated
for them with the federal government in asking for additional resourcing for
travel agents in terms of a grant scheme of some nature to perhaps match
our $14.4 million tourism relief package that we delivered to Western Australian
tourism operators. I wrote to Minister Birmingham and asked him to consider
creating a fund of that nature for travel agents, because it is predominantly a
federal government matter. The federal government shut the international
borders, which has impacted on the travel agents' business. He
responded that he would not do that. I understand that governments are about
prioritising and that there is only so much money no matter who you are and
that the federal government is providing JobKeeper and Jobseeker. Essentially,
that is what the federal government has said.
The member would have heard this
morning about the extension, until March at this stage, of the code of conduct
commercial tenancy legislation to ensure that bricks and mortar tourism travel
operators remain covered by the benefits associated with that code. That is significant
for bricks and mortar travel agents, and will provide a little less anxiety
around that matter.
As the member for Warren–Blackwood
heard the Premier indicate earlier, like it or not, online booking platforms
are part of the travel booking environment. That is just a fact. We are in a digital
world. The vast majority of people from the suburbs of Perth who book a hotel
in the city are not likely to go to a travel agent, but I urge people to do
that. If they want to help out in some small way, please do that. The member
referred to another thing that we were criticised
for the other day in reference to the claims of gouging by online travel
booking agencies in other countries . I had the temerity at that time to
suggest that people ring the hotels directly. Now the member is telling people
that I am evil because I have somehow backflipped on that. If the member had
been standing among the journalists at the press conference, he would have
heard me say that people should ring the hotels directly. When people ask me
about that matter, I say ring directly, look at the website and get the best
deal. I apologise to travel agents. I will add to that: use your travel agent
now, if you can. That is something people might be able to do to help. Putting
that aside, this campaign is all about staycations and getting a market for our
hotels in the city in this diabolical environment. They are also confronting a huge
loss of revenue. There is not much that can be done about that. It is about not
only the border, but also business confidence and the capacity to potentially
travel to other markets, which is not currently an option. Travel agents are
doing it tough and we are working with that industry. An online booking agency
has to be an element of the campaign, because that is the world we live in, but
it is 15 per cent of an overall package. It is $75 000 out of a $500 000 spend
for the overall campaign. The rest of it—most of it—goes to Western
Australian companies or businesses. In many cases, the small businesses, the
hotels, and the bigger ones, the medium-sized businesses, are the one ones
benefiting. That is the focus of this campaign. I assure travel agents that
they have our deepest sympathy for what they are enduring. We have done a number
of things to assist. I have met with them and they know that we are working on
more to assist.
and for his passionate and genuine advocacy on behalf of travel agencies, as
opposed to some of the advocacy that comes from elsewhere on the other side of
the chamber. Travel agents are confronted by a terrible situation—it is
terrible. All the descriptors remain absolutely relevant for them, including
unprecedented and diabolical. I have met with travel agents a few times in my
office and they have told me that up to 90 per cent of their revenue was
generated by Western Australians travelling overseas. Clearly, the moment that
the federal government shut the international borders, that market evaporated.
That is a terrible thing. I have advocated
for them with the federal government in asking for additional resourcing for
travel agents in terms of a grant scheme of some nature to perhaps match
our $14.4 million tourism relief package that we delivered to Western Australian
tourism operators. I wrote to Minister Birmingham and asked him to consider
creating a fund of that nature for travel agents, because it is predominantly a
federal government matter. The federal government shut the international
borders, which has impacted on the travel agents' business. He
responded that he would not do that. I understand that governments are about
prioritising and that there is only so much money no matter who you are and
that the federal government is providing JobKeeper and Jobseeker. Essentially,
that is what the federal government has said.
The member would have heard this
morning about the extension, until March at this stage, of the code of conduct
commercial tenancy legislation to ensure that bricks and mortar tourism travel
operators remain covered by the benefits associated with that code. That is significant
for bricks and mortar travel agents, and will provide a little less anxiety
around that matter.
As the member for Warren–Blackwood
heard the Premier indicate earlier, like it or not, online booking platforms
are part of the travel booking environment. That is just a fact. We are in a digital
world. The vast majority of people from the suburbs of Perth who book a hotel
in the city are not likely to go to a travel agent, but I urge people to do
that. If they want to help out in some small way, please do that. The member
referred to another thing that we were criticised
for the other day in reference to the claims of gouging by online travel
booking agencies in other countries . I had the temerity at that time to
suggest that people ring the hotels directly. Now the member is telling people
that I am evil because I have somehow backflipped on that. If the member had
been standing among the journalists at the press conference, he would have
heard me say that people should ring the hotels directly. When people ask me
about that matter, I say ring directly, look at the website and get the best
deal. I apologise to travel agents. I will add to that: use your travel agent
now, if you can. That is something people might be able to do to help. Putting
that aside, this campaign is all about staycations and getting a market for our
hotels in the city in this diabolical environment. They are also confronting a huge
loss of revenue. There is not much that can be done about that. It is about not
only the border, but also business confidence and the capacity to potentially
travel to other markets, which is not currently an option. Travel agents are
doing it tough and we are working with that industry. An online booking agency
has to be an element of the campaign, because that is the world we live in, but
it is 15 per cent of an overall package. It is $75 000 out of a $500 000 spend
for the overall campaign. The rest of it—most of it—goes to Western
Australian companies or businesses. In many cases, the small businesses, the
hotels, and the bigger ones, the medium-sized businesses, are the one ones
benefiting. That is the focus of this campaign. I assure travel agents that
they have our deepest sympathy for what they are enduring. We have done a number
of things to assist. I have met with them and they know that we are working on
more to assist.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.