Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA) is being re-focused to deliver greater business growth for tourism operators and investors

Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA) is being re-focused to deliver greater business growth for tourism operators and investors in a move that will see more than half of its staff reduced over the next two years.

The state government says Western Australia's tourism industry not achieving its full potential. Major changes to Tourism WA's business model are needed to assist the industry to grow.


The Tourism WA board has moved to focus the organisation on three key operational areas to increase visitor numbers:

* Marketing WA as a competitive tourist destination;
* Developing, attracting and marketing major events; and
* Supporting significant tourism infrastructure and development projects. =

Tourism WA will withdraw from activities that do not target these three core operational areas. Some activities will be transitioned to other agencies through an integrated whole-of-government approach to the tourism sector.

Kate Lamont, chairman of the Tourism WA board, said the changes had been initiated with a goal to double the current annual economic contribution tourism makes to the West Australian economy by 2020.

She said it was an ambitious target, but the board was confident it could be achieved by making fundamental changes to the business model and focus of Tourism WA.

According to the government, Tourism WA will concentrate on activities that have the potential to accelerate the growth of tourism and cease activities that deliver marginal economic benefit.

The new business model will enable Tourism WA to free up more than A$31 million in funding over the next four years to directly invest into marketing.


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