- Margaret River and surrounds experience biggest growth in popularity in regional tourism across the country since the pandemic
- Latest research from the Tourism & Transport Forum shows visitation to the region nearly 16 percent above pre-COVID levels
- Biggest growth in visitors among middle-aged Australians aged 30-64
The South West region continues to pave the way for Western Australian tourism, with latest research from the Tourism & Transport Forum showing Margaret River and surrounds are leading the nation in growth since COVID-19.
Visitation to Margaret River and surrounds was up nearly 16 per cent above pre-COVID levels - the highest in the country - and edged out other popular destinations like the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
It was also the only WA region to make the Top 10 regional tourism areas, coming in at number six.
The biggest growth in visitors to the South West was among middle-aged Australians aged 30-64, with visitation nearly 19 per cent above pre-COVID levels, followed by Australians over 65 with a 15 per cent increase, then young people under 30 with an eight per cent increase.
Among WA residents, the greatest surge in popularity was for the North West region, with visitation nearly 37 per cent above pre-COVID levels.
The most popular regional destination across the country was the North Coast in New South Wales and Byron Bay and Ballina within that region, followed by the South Coast in New South Wales and the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Our State has some truly incredible destinations for visitors to explore, and it's fantastic to see that our South West region has been recognised for being the fastest growing destination in the country.
"These are pretty impressive results, particularly when you look at the other tourism hotspots across the country that we're competing with, like the Gold Coast in Queensland and coastal New South Wales.
"It's also great to see that Western Australians are choosing to holiday within their own State and increasingly heading to our North West region, which I would certainly encourage our interstate and international visitors to explore and enjoy as well."
