Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady cruises into Fremantle
Virgin Voyages’ luxury cruise liner, the Resilient Lady, docked in Fremantle Port on Tuesday for its maiden voyage to WA. With more than 2,000 passengers and crew onboard, it was one of the state’s biggest cruise ship calls of the season. To mark the occasion, a ceremonial plaque exchange took place and other activities to welcome passengers and crew. The Resilient Lady’s visit is one of 140 cruise ship visits to WA’s nine active port destinations this cruise season. Read more about cruise tourism in WA here. 

Header image credit: Osprey Creative 
 

WA soaring high and on track for full aviation recovery
Perth Airport clocked its busiest month on record in January with 1.39 million passengers, a 107 per cent recovery compared to 2019 figures. The upward trend continued in February when flight numbers reached 108 per cent compared to the same period in 2019 and Perth Airport reports international passenger numbers have surpassed pre-COVID levels. The state is expected to meet the national forecasted recovery for international visitors by 2025. Find out more here. 

Industry expertise coming to Maximum Occupancy West Coast Conference 
The inaugural Maximum Occupancy West Coast Conference is set to be held on Tuesday, 16 April in Perth, in partnership with the Australian Hotels Association Western Australia (AHA). The one-day conference will feature more than 50 national and global industry experts, with the keynote to be delivered by Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Rita Saffioti. Tourism WA Managing Director Carolyn Turnbull will join AHA CEO Bradley Woods and Business Events Perth CEO Gareth Martin for a panel discussion on what the future holds for WA's tourism and accommodation industry. Register here.

Jetstar’s South West sale on now
Following the commencement of Jetstar’s non-stop flights between Sydney and Busselton-Margaret River last week, a tactical sale has launched today offering discounted flights on the new route, starting from just $135* one-way. Flights between Melbourne and Busselton-Margaret River are also on sale. The campaign is live now across TV, video on demand, radio, out-of-home digital billboards, digital and social media, as well as Jetstar’s owned channels. A range of influencers and content creators are also currently visiting the destination to share content with their audiences. Find out more about the campaign here. 

Campaign inspires young West Australians to live and work the dream
Tourism WA has launched a paid media campaign and content partnership with Perth is OK! to inspire and educate young West Australians on how they can build their dream career in WA’s tourism and hospitality industry. Delivered as part of the Choose Tourism Grant Program, the campaign is being funded by the Australian Government through Austrade. Industry operators are encouraged to leverage the campaign by registering and listing job vacancies for free on westernaustralia.jobs. Find out more on the Dream Careers Hub here. 

Stadium Station now open every day
Visitors to the Optus Stadium precinct can now benefit from greater accessibility, with trains now stopping at Stadium Station seven days a week. Daily services commenced earlier this week after previously being limited to event days, weekends, and public holidays. Just a five-minute train journey from Perth, the precinct offers access to Optus Stadium, scenic riverside walking and cycle trails, Matagarup Zip+Climb, a sensory playground, parklands, and barbeque and picnic facilities. Find out more here. 

BE Perth to host South West briefing
Business Events Perth (BEP), in collaboration with Australia’s South West, is hosting a ‘Business Events Breakfast Educational’ on Friday, 19 April at Southcamp Dunsborough. This briefing will provide an in-depth understanding of BEP and how the South West region can seek more corporate and business events opportunities. It will also provide a wider overview of the business events sector and more information about BEP's upcoming event, MEET IN WA – SOUTH WEST, on Thursday, 7 November 2024. Register here. 

Nominate for the WA Tourism Awards
Industry members are encouraged to nominate high-performing businesses for the 2024 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards, which are now open. The awards recognise tourism businesses for their commitment to excellence, providing a platform to celebrate achievements and innovation, and an opportunity to raise their profile among the industry and consumers. Read more here.