Talking Tourism

Influencers insta takeover to inspire WA wanderings

WA influencers and social media stars Jarrad Seng and Brooke Blurton will be ‘taking over’ Tourism WA’s Instagram account @westernaustralia this weekend, starting Friday. The pair will be sharing highlights from their Coral Coast Highway road trip from Perth to Exmouth. Their adventures showcase iconic destinations and gave a personalised account of some of the amazing tours and experiences travellers can have along the way.  Their journey in a Britz Campervan was part of a Wander out Yonder marketing initiative to encourage people to follow in the pair’s footsteps with their own WA road trip adventure. Check out @jarradseng and @brooke.blurton on instagram for their awe-inspiring visual diaries.

Collie plays host to latest Tourism WA regional workshop

Thanks to all who came along to the latest Tourism WA ‘Our Story’ Deep Dive workshop held yesterday at Harris River Estate in Collie. It was a great turnout with a mix of operators and local government representatives sharing their ideas. The workshop helped identify the region's attractions and unique experiences that embody the Spirit of Adventure, and highlighted the tourism opportunities of the region. Collie’s tourism industry has been given a boost recently with State Government funding to develop world-class mountain bike and adventure trails and a massive artwork – the world’s biggest mural completed by a single artist - at Wellington Dam. A new pedestrian suspension bridge is also planned, offering views over the Collie River. More regional workshops will be held later in the year. For more information on holding a workshop in your area, email us.

Quokka Birthday back for 2020

Rottnest Island’s Quokka Birthday event is back for 2020, with the fun extended for the entire month of September. Every Saturday there will be activities and entertainment in the Thomson Bay grassed area including live music, quokka dreamtime stories and dancing, wildlife talks from Rottnest rangers and quokka walking tours. Wildlife Wednesdays will include activities such as quokka and wildlife walking tours, ranger’s talks and a quokka photography workshop. A Quokka Sleepover Party will be held every Friday and Saturday night with marshmallow toasting at a bonfire and a quokka-spotting twilight tour. If you can’t make it to Rotto, you can download a Party at Home pack from the website that includes a birthday playlist, colouring-in and party hats. All quokka birthday activities are free but tickets are required. For more information, visit the Rottnest Island website.

Road Trip Country campaign

Australia’s Golden Outback has launched the next stage of its road trips campaign. Teaming up with the WA Visitor Centre as the booking partner, residents in the Perth metropolitan area are urged to explore Road Trip Country via Curtin FM radio, PR and Facebook advertising. The campaign will run until the end of October and aligns with the region’s incredible wildflower season from Gascoyne-Murchison in the north to Esperance and Fitzgerald Coast in the south. Seniors’ breaks in Kalgoorlie are also a key pillar of the campaign, driving bookings on Transwa’s daily rail service from Perth to Kalgoorlie. The WA Visitor Centre is offering four-night packages and car hire add-ons to explore Lake Ballard’s iconic statues, quirky ghost towns, outback pubs and discover the Goldfields’ unique history.

Upload your wildflower images

One of the world’s greatest floral displays is in full swing across the Coral Coast and Golden Outback. As the blossoms begin to also descend upon Perth and burst with colour across the South West, now is the perfect time to share your business or regional story with WA consumers. The Wildflower Tracker on westernaustralia.com, powered by the Western Australian Visitor Centre, has had 40,000 views so far this season. To submit current wildflower sightings from your region that help local visitors plan their itineraries, please visit the website.

Short courses in infection control

Keep your workers safe and build confidence in your customers by completing a free short course in infection control. The Infection Control Skill Set (Food Handling) course is suited to hospitality settings and has been tailored to meet industry needs. The course is available online through TAFE and participating private registered training organisations. It will teach the safe use of personal protective equipment, how to prevent the spread and transmission of infection and how to maintain a clean work environment. Completing this training may also give employees credit in accredited vocational qualifications requiring infection control skills. For more information visit the Jobs and Skills WA website or call 13 64 64.

Small businesses in the spotlight

The contribution of small businesses to the State will be in the spotlight on Small Business Day, held on October 31. According to the Small Business Matters website, there are more than 200,000 small businesses in WA, which make up 97 per cent of all privately owned businesses in the State. Small businesses are encouraged to get involved, to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on small businesses in WA. For more information, including how to get involved and to download a kit, including a poster, e-signature and other materieals, visit the Small Business Matters website.

Join the Resilient Mind Program

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has launched a new mental health support program, in partnership with the Mind Body Brain Performance Institute. AFTA is funding 1,000 free places in the Resilient Mind program, each of which comes with two guest passes so participants can share the program with family and friends in the industry. The four-week program blends resilience education with online tools, videos, workouts, a social feed and daily rituals for a positive mindset. To take part, agents can complete an online form with the names of their agency colleagues who can complete the challenge as a team. Teams can complete daily rituals to receive points and climb the leaderboard. The program runs from September 7 to October 4. Visit the AFTA website for more information.

Remote aboriginal communities update

As West Australians hit the road to explore our State, it is important to remember that travel restrictions remain in place for many remote Aboriginal communities. Regional travel restrictions across Western Australia were lifted in early June, giving West Aussies the opportunity to wander out yonder. However, entry into most remote Aboriginal communities is still restricted to protect the health and wellbeing of residents. Travellers can drive through communities that are covered by travel restrictions only if they do not stop or come into contact with any person in the community. The message to share with your customers is that it is important to plan ahead before starting your journey and check up to-date travel advice from your nearest Visitor Centre or www.wa.gov.au. This website has a full list of Aboriginal communities or community amenities currently open to tourists and travellers.

Funding assistance for WA business events

Business Events Perth has launched a new funding initiative encouraging organisations to host local business events. Funding of up to $30 per delegate is available, with total funding support determined by the event duration and number of delegates attending in-person. Eligible events include conferences, exhibitions or tradeshows, workshops and seminars, as well as corporate meetings and incentive group events with a business event program. The offer is available for a limited time and valid only for new business event bookings to be held in Western Australia before June 30, 2021. To enquire about funding availability for your event, contact Business Events Perth’s Business Development Team on 08 9218 2900 or visit Business Events Perth’s website.

Online Aussie Specialist training platform available

Tourism Australia is offering a local version of its Aussie Specialist Program. Australian travel agents are being provided access to a free online training platform to help them sell domestic tourism experiences. The initiative is a local version of Tourism Australia's international Aussie Specialist Program and has been designed to equip agents with relevant, up-to-date information and showcase new regions, destinations and experiences within Australia. It offers training modules, itinerary suggestions, fact sheets, industry news and monthly email updates. Click here to register.

Call for new nature-based tourism ideas

If you have a new nature-based tourism idea, the WA Government wants to hear from you. As part of the State’s COVID-19 recovery, the call has gone out for people to come forward with ideas for new high-quality tourism experiences in lands and waters managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The initiative aims to boost the tourism potential of parks, stimulate jobs and give people a new appreciation of our State’s natural wonders. Innovative submissions are invited from industry, which may include, but are not limited to, new adventure activities, tourism experiences, infrastructure, tour products, eco accommodation and/or Aboriginal cultural tourism opportunities. For more information, read the WA Government media statement and find out more about the Government’s market-led proposals.