❓ Hon Jim Chown asks about the costs and visitor numbers associated with various state government tourism marketing campaigns and subsidies, particularly concerning Rottnest Island and regional airline flights. The response provides some data on Rottnest Island initiatives but withholds information on airline subsidies due to commercial sensitivity.
AnsweredQoN 543Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM — MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND SUBSIDIES
543. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the Minister
for Tourism:
(1) Can the
minister provide a breakdown of visitor numbers and state government costs,
including, but not limited to, marketing and actual subsidies provided per
traveller with respect to each of the listed tourism campaigns from their
respective start dates to today —
(a) the
Rottnest Island admission fee exemption for children travelling between 3 April
and up to today's date, 28 June;
(b) the
Rottnest Island ''Rotto from Day to Dusk'' campaign, which
offered discounted afternoon island admission during summer;
(c) the
subsidised Rex airline flights to Monkey Mia and Carnarvon announced this week;
(d) the subsidised Qantas airline
flights to Broome announced last month; and
(e) the
subsidised Aviair airline flights to Kununurra, Halls Creek and Balgo announced
last week?
(2) If the
campaign is yet to formally begin, can the minister please provide the expected
forecast cost of the actual subsidy per traveller and associated marketing
costs?
(3) Which organisation are each of the respective subsidies
being paid to?
(4) Which budget line item is used to fund the subsidies?
543. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the Minister
for Tourism:
(1) Can the
minister provide a breakdown of visitor numbers and state government costs,
including, but not limited to, marketing and actual subsidies provided per
traveller with respect to each of the listed tourism campaigns from their
respective start dates to today —
(a) the
Rottnest Island admission fee exemption for children travelling between 3 April
and up to today's date, 28 June;
(b) the
Rottnest Island ''Rotto from Day to Dusk'' campaign, which
offered discounted afternoon island admission during summer;
(c) the
subsidised Rex airline flights to Monkey Mia and Carnarvon announced this week;
(d) the subsidised Qantas airline
flights to Broome announced last month; and
(e) the
subsidised Aviair airline flights to Kununurra, Halls Creek and Balgo announced
last week?
(2) If the
campaign is yet to formally begin, can the minister please provide the expected
forecast cost of the actual subsidy per traveller and associated marketing
costs?
(3) Which organisation are each of the respective subsidies
being paid to?
(4) Which budget line item is used to fund the subsidies?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Tourism.
(1) (a) Kids free island admission is running from 3 April
to 20 September 2018, excluding school holidays. From 3 April to 26 June 2018
inclusive, 2 269 children have travelled by ferry to Rottnest Island with no admission fee charged.
The normal admission fee for a child visiting for the day is $6.50. No subsidy
was provided to any organisation and no marketing costs were incurred.
(b) Rottnest
Island ''Rotto from Day to Dusk'' admission discounts are half-price
island admissions when arriving on the island after midday during January and
February 2018. From 1 January to 28 February 2018, 7 414 people travelled with
a discount admission fee of $9 for adults and free for children under ''Rotto
from Day to Dusk''. The normal admission fee for a day visitor to the
island is $18 for an adult and $6.50 for a child. No subsidy was provided to
any organisation. Marketing costs incurred were $380.
(c) The member is asked to refer
this part of the question to the Minister for Transport.
(d) A
breakdown of visitor numbers is not available until completion of the campaign,
which runs a full year for travel from 17 August 2018 to 16 August 2019.
The Perth–Broome
initiative is a trial and for commercial reasons, including not compromising
future initiatives that may be explored on other routes with other airlines,
the details are confidential. Its disclosure could cause commercial harm to the
state and, more specifically, adversely impact on future negotiations with
other airlines to reduce airfares within regional Western Australia.
Accordingly, I will notify the Auditor General's office and both houses
of Parliament that part of this question will not be answered as per section 82
of the Financial Management Act.
(e) The member is asked to refer
this part of the question to the Minister for Transport.
(2)–(3)
It is difficult to provide a complete answer given that it requires advice from
a range of agencies and departments within portfolios held by a number of
ministers. If the member would like to be more specific, I will endeavour to
answer the question.
question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Tourism.
(1) (a) Kids free island admission is running from 3 April
to 20 September 2018, excluding school holidays. From 3 April to 26 June 2018
inclusive, 2 269 children have travelled by ferry to Rottnest Island with no admission fee charged.
The normal admission fee for a child visiting for the day is $6.50. No subsidy
was provided to any organisation and no marketing costs were incurred.
(b) Rottnest
Island ''Rotto from Day to Dusk'' admission discounts are half-price
island admissions when arriving on the island after midday during January and
February 2018. From 1 January to 28 February 2018, 7 414 people travelled with
a discount admission fee of $9 for adults and free for children under ''Rotto
from Day to Dusk''. The normal admission fee for a day visitor to the
island is $18 for an adult and $6.50 for a child. No subsidy was provided to
any organisation. Marketing costs incurred were $380.
(c) The member is asked to refer
this part of the question to the Minister for Transport.
(d) A
breakdown of visitor numbers is not available until completion of the campaign,
which runs a full year for travel from 17 August 2018 to 16 August 2019.
The Perth–Broome
initiative is a trial and for commercial reasons, including not compromising
future initiatives that may be explored on other routes with other airlines,
the details are confidential. Its disclosure could cause commercial harm to the
state and, more specifically, adversely impact on future negotiations with
other airlines to reduce airfares within regional Western Australia.
Accordingly, I will notify the Auditor General's office and both houses
of Parliament that part of this question will not be answered as per section 82
of the Financial Management Act.
(e) The member is asked to refer
this part of the question to the Minister for Transport.
(2)–(3)
It is difficult to provide a complete answer given that it requires advice from
a range of agencies and departments within portfolios held by a number of
ministers. If the member would like to be more specific, I will endeavour to
answer the question.
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