WA tourists to the rescue in the Margaret River region as State borders create new dramas

The latest figures for the Margaret River region show the number of Perth tourists hitting the road down south have nearly equalled the visitor count prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spending and visitor nights were also up in the three-year average, maintaining strong growth for the industry. However, the booming visitor statistics came with a caution that appetites have changed considerably, leading to a major shake-up among attraction and tour providers. Margaret River-Busselton Tourism Association co-chief executive Sharna Kearney said the coming months would see a return of interstate and overseas travellers — with direct flights from Melbourne finally under way this week — but the jury was out on how operators would fare this winter. “West Australians have made up the gap left by interstate and international travellers, which is not surprising given the closed border arrangement,” Ms Kearney said. “These results have certainly been felt by our accommodation and hospitality sector, but not tours, attractions and experiences as previously reported. “What these results also don’t show is the pattern or spread of the visitation.” Domestic travel to Margaret River jumped 16.8 per cent in the past year, up 5.8 per cent in the past three years back when international and interstate tourism was in full effect. Nights spent in the region jumped considerably in the year to December, up 23.7 per cent on December 2020, and up 15 per cent in the three-year average. But Ms Kearney and tour operators noted the trend of high weekend visitation and midweek slumps continued to dominate. Margaret River Discovery Company boss Sean Blocksidge said the past two years were “a heck of a rollercoaster”. “Overall it’s been very, very tough for tour operators, but there’s been a remarkable turnaround in recent weeks and I’m completely booked out for March and April,” he said. “Interstate and international visitation is slowly trickling back in and the WA support has been encouraging. “Who knows what winter will bring, but I do know I am very grateful to every West Aussie who decided to do something a bit different these past two years and try new experiences in their own backyard.” Margaret River Adventure Company director Cam O’Beirne said part of his offering was still in limbo due to the devastation of the Boranup Forest, but Perth tourists showed strong interest in his coasteering and fat-bike tours. “I think it’s going to be a tough winter for most tourism experiences, but we find the key is to be constantly adapting and changing your product to suit what is required for clients,” he said. Ms Kearney said reopened borders meant Perth tourists were now likely to travel elsewhere, and despite the slow return of the leisure travel market, winter visitation rates looked uncertain.