Tourism Council WA has welcomed today's announcement by the State Government of a Tourism Case Management Framework to assist proponents of new attractions through the approvals process.
Under the Framework, Tourism WA would work closely with private sector proponents to provide advice and support to ensure their proposals are considered in a timely manner.
Earlier this year, Tourism Council WA recommended the State Government prioritise and streamline approvals for private investment in new attractions and upgrading existing attractions. This coincided with the release of New Attractions for Perth, a document outlining 16 proposed new, privately-funded attractions requiring approvals by multiple government agencies to proceed.
The new attractions were conservatively estimated to result in $165 million spent by visitors in WA, generating 1,116 full time equivalent jobs.
Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said it was important proposed attractions received whole-of-government support.
"It would be great to see, within a year's time, three or four new sustainable tourism attractions successfully pass through the Government approvals process," he said.
"However, it's got to be more than just one Government agency providing support.
"There needs to be a new approach across all Government agencies where the objective is to approve privately-funded attractions that have high environmental and safety standards, broad public support, and will attract more visitors to Western Australia."
Attractions are essential components for any successful destination, providing visitors with something to do, rather than just something to see. Only 13% of international visitors to Perth visited an attraction during their trip, which is the lowest of any major Australian city.
"It has been more than 25 years since Perth has welcomed a new major attraction. In the meantime, other states have created amazing experiences that are loved by locals and attract visitors from around the world," Mr Hall said.
Click here to view Tourism Council WA's New Attractions for Perth document.
