Tourism to SW increasing

Anecdotal evidence from Bridgetown-Greenbushes businesses confirm the area has benefited from an increase in visitors over the past year, the region’s tourism association says.

Tourism Research Australia last week reported WA had a 12 per cent increase in international visitors, and 6 per cent increase in spending, in the year to December.

Bridgetown-Greenbushes Business and Tourism Association chairman Steph De Vaney said businesses were reporting an increase in visitors, but mainly from within WA.

“There are so many more tourists and visitors coming through town and holidaying down in the South West and they stop because it’s attractive,” she said.

However, a campaign being planned with Tourism WA aimed to draw more international visitors to Bridgetown, Balingup and Nannup as a “golden triangle” of good food, she said.

Association committee member Adam Roebuck said Tourism WA was doing a good job in promoting the State but small businesses were also reaping the benefits of their own efforts.

Grassroots marketing, including an online campaign, had contributed to the success of events such as Winter in the Blackwood, he said.

“Do we have any hard scientific facts, no we don’t, we haven’t gone to that level of analysis,” he said.

However, he said retailers had reported changing what they were supplying to meet demand from the tourist trade.

Mr Roebuck said he and his partner, who run food tourism business Little Hill Farm, credit digital media for drawing more international visitors. to the farm in recent months.

“We’ve definitely seen direct Asian visitors to our farm and I suspect it would be the same in the main street area.”

Bridgetown’s 150th anniversary would be a focus of marketing efforts in coming months, he said.

“We are putting a lot of effort into quite a big program for 2018 promoting the town and the region because 150 years only happens once.”