Organisers of the WA Tourism Conference are pleased to announce the 2021 event will be held in Geraldton on May 3 - 5 and will be supported by new naming rights sponsor Perth Airport.
Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said Geraldton had been awarded the event in recognition of its commitment to recovering as a regional tourism destination and growing its appeal to international, interstate and local WA visitors.
"We're excited to bring the 2021 Perth Airport WA Regional Tourism Conference to a town with a high level of commitment to constantly improving its local tourism offering and appeal to visitors," Mr Hall said.
"We're looking forward to showcasing the City and the surrounding region to tourism businesses and industry delegates from across Western Australia."
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the City was delighted to have won the opportunity of hosting rights for this event.
"It recognises the commitment made by the City four years ago through its Geraldton Jobs and Growth Plan to growing our region's tourism capacity and offerings," he said.
"We're over the moon to be able to welcome delegates and showcase Geraldton as part of Australia's Coral Coast and the hub for exploring the rest of the amazing Midwest region.
"Hosting the Conference is a huge opportunity for us to shine the spotlight on our tourism industry and promote our local tourism operators to the wider industry whilst growing our economy."
In recognition of its status as Western Australia's gateway into many regional tourism destinations, Perth Airport has joined as naming rights sponsor of the 2021 Perth Airport WA Regional Tourism Conference.
"This conference is a critical step forward in the post-COVID recovery for aviation and tourism. We're committed to working with tourism operators across Western Australia to build and showcase the unique and wonderful attractions that make our State so special," Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown said.
The WA Tourism Conference was introduced in 2015 as an industry-wide event, and is now co-hosted by a number of industry associations including Tourism Council WA, Visitor Centres WA, Caravan Industry Association WA, Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council and the Forum Advocating Cultural and Eco Tourism. The event is supported by Tourism Western Australia and the City of Greater Geraldton. The 2021 event will be the third held in a regional location, with the conference held in Albany in 2017 and Karratha in 2019.
