Tourism Council WA is calling on the State Government to commit to retaining all existing access and tourism experiences within WA's National Parks, following the announcement today that visitors will no longer be able to traverse Horizontal Falls in the North West from the end of the 2027 season - a bucket list experience and driver of international visitation to the region.
The cessation of tours traversing Horizontal Falls follows the closure of other tourism attractions including Penguin Island Discovery Centre and the Gloucester Tree in the South West.
"Traversing Horizontal Falls and diving with whale sharks are the two iconic nature-based tourism experiences of international renown drawing visitors to WA from around the world," Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said.
"WA uses Horizontal Falls and diving with whale sharks to promote WA to key markets. It is impossible to measure just how many visitors will decide not to come to WA or visit the North West without this drawcard.
"While hopefully multi-day cruises staying one night in Talbot Bay will continue, it is the loss of day tours to traverse the Falls which will have the most immediate and significant impact."
It is estimated that closing day tours alone which traverse Horizontal Falls will result in $15 million and 58 full time equivalent jobs lost from the region per year. Fifteen licenced tourism operators will be impacted by the closure. This does not include the loss from visitors who will not come to the region at all.
"National Parks are public land and waters that belong to everyone. The legislative objective of National Parks includes promoting and facilitating nature-based tourism and public recreation - this is not achieved by restricting visitor access or closing successful nature-based tourism experiences," Mr Hall said.
"Sustainable nature-based tourism in National Parks needs to protect the natural environment, promote cultural heritage, and create jobs and tourism business opportunities on country for Traditional Owners and local destinations. It is difficult to see how this can be best achieved by closing down a world renowned nature-based experience.
"We need a new approach from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions with an emphasis on sustaining and creating nature-based tourism experiences, especially commercially viable Aboriginal tourism experiences in Joint Managed National Parks."
Mr Hall called on the State Government to retain ongoing access for tourism operators traversing Horizontal Falls to ensure Traditional Owners and tourism operators could work together to create and operate commercially viable Aboriginal tourism experiences, jobs and business partnerships.
"Horizontal Falls is one of the great natural wonders of the world - by traversing the Falls, visitors experience the awesome nature of this unique environment. It's not something that can be experienced from the sidelines," Mr Hall said.
"Traversing the Horizontal Falls is a national award-winning, once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience that has been bringing visitors from around the world to the Kimberley for more than 20 years, long before it became a National Park.
"Without the worldwide appeal of traversing the Horizontal Falls, it will be extremely difficult to create commercially viable Aboriginal tourism experiences at the Falls."
