South-West region continues to attract and delight tourists

  • South-West visitor numbers up 12.6 per cent to 3.2 million between June 2018 to June 2019
  • Visitors spend climbed from $1.346 million to $1.725 million over the same 12 months
  • Comes on top of new Jetstar flights linking Busselton and Melbourne as well as opening of Margaret River HEART multi-purpose centre
  • 25 events scheduled for the South-West region between October 2019 and May 2020
  • 'Margaret River & Southern WA' named number one destination on Lonely Planet 'Best in Asia Pacific 2019' list
  • The State's South-West continues to attract tourists, with more than 3.2 million visitors flocking to the region between June 2018 to June 2019.

    Visitor spend is also growing with total spend up from $1.346 billion to $1.725 billion over the same 12-month period.

    Premier Mark McGowan took a road trip through the award-winning region today with stops in Busselton and Margaret River, including a visit to the iconic Margaret River Chocolate Company meeting visitors, locals and business operators.

    Over the next nine months, 25 events will be hosted in the region to attract more visitors and provide a boost to the local economy. These include the Gourmet Escape, the Margaret River Pro, the Busselton Jetty Swim and Augusta Adventure Fest. 

    New Jetstar flights between Busselton and Melbourne operating three times a week from March 2020 are also expected to open up Western Australia's South-West to thousands more east coast visitors.

    The State Government, through Lotterywest, contributed $5 million towards the $9.74 million Margaret River HEART which officially opened earlier this month. The transformation of the former cultural centre and squash courts into a multi-purpose centre brings together entertainment, arts and business events in one world-class venue.

    As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:

    "Like all Western Australians I love visiting our South-West - whether you're looking for a relaxing beach trip, a world-class food and wine experience or a forest get away, the South‑West region has it all.

    "Western Australians aren't the only ones discovering the delights of our South-West region - between June 2018 and June 2019 interstate visitors rose 3.1 per cent and international visitors rose by 9 per cent.

    "New flights between Busselton and Melbourne are expected to open up more opportunities for east coast visitors and the opening of the Margaret River HEART multi-purpose facilities has created a world-class venue that can be used for entertainment, arts and business events.

    "With 25 events coming to the South-West over the next nine months, I'm looking forward to introducing more visitors to the region."

    Premier's office - 6552 5000  

    EventLocationDate
    Cape to Cape MTBAugusta to Dunsborough Oct-19
    Australian Men's Masters Hockey Championships Busselton and BunburyOct-19
    Dardanup Bull and Barrel Festival DardanupOct-19
    The 2019 WA State Road Cycling ChampionshipsBunburyOct-19
    Western Australia Gourmet Escape Margaret River, Swan Valley and PerthNov-19
    Tour of Margaret River Pro Am Nannup to ManjimupNov-19
    Augusta Adventure Fest AugustaNov-19
    Ironman Western AustraliaBusseltonDec-19
    Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival ManjimupDec-19
    Australian Tennis Seniors ChampionshipsBusselton and BunburyJan-20
    Boyup Brook Country Music Festival Boyup BrookFeb-20
    Nannup Music Festival NannupFeb-20
    Westrac Bunbury Geographe Gift BunburyFeb-20
    Busselton Jetty Swim BusseltonFeb-20
    Action Sports Games 2020 BunburyFeb-20
    South West Craft Beer Festival BusseltonFeb-20
    RAC Karri Valley Triathlon PembertonMar-20
    Forest Rally Busselton and NannupApr-20
    X-Adventure Dunsborough Dunsborough Apr-20
    Margaret River Open Studios South-West regionApr-20
    Sunsmart Busselton Festival of Triathlon (IRONMAN 70.3)BusseltonMay-20
    Margaret River Ultra Marathon Margaret RiverMay-20
    Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival Margaret RiverMay-20
    Jazz by the BayDunsborough, Busselton and Margaret RiverMay-20
    Margaret River Pro Margaret River TBC
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