Published on : Thursday, April 4, 2019
A Tourism Research Australia study of foreign visitors to the region — which includes Goldfields-Esperance — displayed a 46 percent rise from 2017-18, from 41,000 to 60,000 visitors.
It was the most massive growth of any-where in the State — regional and metro — and Goldfields Tourism Network Association chief executive Mandy Reidy was pretty happy with the results.
“It’s great to see such a huge increase,” she said.
“Overseas visitors only make up about 7 per cent of our visitors, but as long as that number’s increasing we’re doing something right.”
Not only the numbers soar but regional expenditure also blown up, from $24 million to $34 million in the same time frame.
“Yay — go us,” Ms Reidy said. “That’s $10 million into the local economy that didn’t exist two years ago.”
Ms. Reidy explained from a Goldfields viewpoint, there had been a huge push for external marketing to get people to the region.
“People want to see something they haven’t seen before,” she said.
She emphasized that the environmental, cultural and historical features of the region as key attractions, along with prospecting and the freedom and adventure of a road trip to the outback.
“The Golden Quest Discovery trail is coming up to 15 years and is more popular than ever.”