November 2, 2018 Premier must act now to stop the freefall in WA tourism Western Australia has once again bucked the national tourism trend, with figures released today showing both international visitor numbers and spend has continued to fall in WA under the McGowan Government, while the national average continues on a strong growth trajectory. In the 12 months to the end of June, the number of international visitors coming to WA dropped 2 per cent and visitor spend dropped 10 per cent. Nationally, international visitor numbers went up 6 per cent and spend rose by 5 per cent. Shadow Tourism Minister Libby Mettam said statistics showed that in the first three months in office the McGowan Government oversaw an increase in visitor numbers and spend on the back of the former Government’s policies and initiatives but since then both had dropped sharply. “The tourism sector cannot sustain these losses,” Ms Mettam said. “Premier Mark McGowan must act immediately before more small operators are squeezed out of the business. “While Premier Mark McGowan is busy claiming responsibility for the returning GST revenue to WA, this 10 per cent drop in international visitor spend has drained $255 million dollars of income from our State. “Premier McGowan must acknowledge his decision to roll the Department of Tourism into a mega department has been a disaster for tourism in WA. “Tourism is unlike any other portfolio in Government, it should be a commercial portfolio competing for business, markets, airlines routes and events, not a bit player in a mega department with no dedicated lead.” Ms Mettam said that if the Premier had done his homework he would have realised the operating model he brought in with his machinery of Government changes had failed in every other State it had been trialled and was quickly reversed. “The Minister for Tourism may have recently appointed a managing director, but that role sits under a director general who reports to five different ministers, he is buried in bureaucracy,” Ms Mettam said. “The Premier also needs to acknowledge his decision to remove incentives for our key international student markets and the resulting 12 per cent plunge in international student commencements has added to the downturn in the tourism sector and potentially removed $52 million in economic benefits to WA.” BACKGROUND TRA figures for 12 months to the end of:
Source: https://www.tra.gov.au/
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