Tourism Western Australia MEDIA KIT 2020 WESTERN AUSTRALIA OVERVIEW MEDIA CONTACT About Tourism Western Australia 2 Tourism Western Australia Destination & WA and its visitor experiences 4 Events PR team WA’s diverse events calendar 10 Level 9, 2 Mill Street, Perth WA 6000 Australia Marketing update 15 Aviation 16 T +61 (8) 9262 1700 Tourism impact & employment in WA 20 F +61 (8) 9262 1735 Visitor & market snapshot 22 [email protected] Tourism Western Australia DESTINATION NEWS tourism.wa.gov.au Perth – new hotels 28 westernaustralia.com Perth – new city precincts 30 Perth – new era sporting and entertainment 32 Facebook: Perth – coastal revival 33 facebook.com/extraordinarywesternaustralia Rottnest Island revamp 34 @Extraordinary Western Australia MEDIA KIT Flights putting WA on the map 35 Twitter: twitter.com/westaustralia Start your Kimberley @WestAustralia adventure in Broome 36 Margaret River Savour the YouTube: youtube.com/westernaustralia food, wine & scenery 40 @WesternAustralia 2020 Margaret River & Southern WA 42 Instagram: Instagram.com/westernaustralia Esperance & the Golden Outback @WesternAustralia 10 must do experiences 45 My favourites for a week Hashtags: #ThisisWA around Ningaloo 46 #westernaustralia Cruise shipping in WA 48 Disclaimer: All information contained in this guide was correct at Award winners shine the time of printing. Tourism WA accepts no responsibility for any light on WA tourism industry 50 person claiming they have been misled or deceived by any matter Camping with custodians 51 published herein. WA’s shining stars 52 THE WA LIST Coastal & aquatic adventures 57 Exquisite food and wine 60 Outback experiences 62 Luxury experiences 64 Nature & wildlife 66 Aboriginal WA 68 Wellness experiences 70 Top walks through WA 72 Road trips 74 NEW PRODUCT WESTERN Accommodation 79 Cover Photo: Eagle Bay, Australia’s South West AUSTRALIA Tours & attractions 85 Photo credit Tourism Australia / Scott Slawinski Food & wine 100 Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef ABOUT TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA Tuim Wsen Asrl a (Tuim W ) i rsos be fr poog Wsen Asrl a (W ) a a etar y hl dy dsain Tourism WA is a State Government statutory authority and part of the broader economic development portfolio of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. The agency works in partnership with industry, private sector and government to develop and promote WA’s iconic tourism experiences, to attract events to the State and to help the tourism industry thrive. Tourism WA has three core functions: 1. Marketing the State. The agency is responsible for delivering innovative marketing campaigns to raise local, national and international awareness of WA’s destinations and experiences. 2. Developing, attracting and promoting events. We seek to attract and support a broad range of sports, arts, cultural, culinary and business events, which bring visitors to our State. Major events supported by Tourism WA include two matches played by the world’s biggest sporting team, Manchester United, and a Rugby League State of Origin match in 2019; International Cricket Council World T20 matches in 2020 and food and wine event Western Australia Gourmet Escape. The 60,000-seat Optus Stadium has allowed us to expand the size and range of events we support to attract more overseas and interstate visitors. 3. Facilitating the development of key tourism destinations. Tourism WA works closely with government and industry partners to improve destinations in terms of access, accommodation, attractions and amenities for visitors. We also seek to ensure the State’s policies and regulations support tourism development. For more information on Tourism WA, visit tourism.wa.gov.au. Yagan Square, Perth Batchelors Buttons, Karijini National Park WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND ITS VISITOR EXPERIENCES It’s big, beautiful and billions of years old. WA is around the size of Western Europe and accounts for one-third of the Australian continent. It boasts 20,000 kilometres of mainland and island coastline, the world’s oldest minerals and a host of natural wonders found nowhere else on Earth. 4 TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA’S NORTH WEST AUSTRALIA’S GOLDEN OUTBACK AUSTRALIA’S CORAL COAST DESTINATION PERTH AUSTRALIA’S SOUTH WEST Of the State’s population of 2.6 million people, around three-quarters live in the Perth region. WA’s Aboriginal history dates back more than 40,000 years – making it one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Almost a third of Western Australians are born overseas and 15 per cent of the population speaks a language other than English at home. WA regions and key visitor Destination Perth experiences Australia’s sunniest capital, Perth, is consistently Extraordinary experiences await you in every rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. region of this grand and diverse State, while the The city’s spectacular natural surroundings are varied climate – Mediterranean conditions in the rivalled only by its vibrant city life, particularly south through to the northern tropics – means following a major transformation that continues you’ll always find summer somewhere in WA. to deliver new hotels, bars, restaurants and public spaces. WA’s ancient and beautiful landscape is home to pristine beaches, rugged gorges, unique rock Check out: formations, towering forests, secluded waterfalls and the world’s largest wildflower collection. • Perth’s transformation. An array of new You’ll also find unforgettable cultural and wildlife public spaces have activated Perth and encounters, exquisite food and drink, vibrant its surrounding cultural hubs, including events and in cosmopolitan Perth a flourishing the vibrant waterfront precinct of Elizabeth city life. Quay, 60,000 seat Optus Stadium, and Yagan Square, which is a celebration of Tourism WA works with Regional Tourism WA’s Aboriginal heritage. Perth also offers Organisations (RTOs) and tourism operators some of the best value hotel and short-stay to market WA’s extraordinary destinations, accommodation in Australia following the experiences and events. WA’s five tourism raft of new and refurbished properties that regions are Destination Perth, Australia’s Coral have opened in the CBD and surrounding Coast, Australia’s South West, Australia’s urban and coastal areas. Golden Outback and Australia’s North West. MEDIA KIT 2020 5 PERTH & SURROUNDS Lancelin • Kings Park and Botanic Garden. At 400 (1hour) Pinnacles hectares, Kings Park is one of the world’s (1.5 hours) largest inner-city parks. After a short walk or bus ride from the central business district, you’ll be rewarded with superb views, rich Hillarys Swan Valley Scarborough Scarborough Aboriginal and European history, more Cottesloe than 3,000 species of WA’s unique flora, Airport restaurants, as well as playgrounds and RottnestIsland picnic spots. Take a self or guided tour, and in the summer months enjoy a live performance or film. • Cuisine, culture and couture. Head into Perth city and its urban hubs of Mount Lawley, Leederville, Northbridge, Victoria Park and Subiaco for an ever- expanding range of dining, shopping and entertainment options. World-class art and museum exhibitions, theatre, ballet, Australia’s Coral Coast music and sporting events are on in Perth year-round, while fashionistas can check Home to awesome marine life, endless white out international and home-grown style sandy beaches and the warm, turquoise Indian throughout the city and surrounds. Ocean, this region boasts two World Heritage- listed sites; the Ningaloo coast and Shark Bay. • Unique attractions. Hop on a free CAT bus and tour Perth’s city sights. Ring one Check out: of the world’s largest musical instruments, the Swan Bells at the Bell Tower, watch a • Snorkelling at Ningaloo Reef. If you’re live gold pour and see the world’s largest visiting Exmouth, Coral Bay or the ocean- collection of gold bars at the Perth Mint, side pastoral stations north of Carnarvon, take a ferry across the Swan River to Perth this is an absolute must do. The World Zoo, home to more than 1,500 animals, Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is regarded or head out to Caversham Wildlife Park, as one of the last great ocean paradises 30 minutes drive east of Perth where you on Earth, and you can access this watery can meet koalas, wombats, kangaroos wonderland by simply stepping off the beach and many other native wildlife. and into the world’s largest fringing reef. • Day trips. Within an hour of Perth’s central • Swimming with gentle giants. Join a business district you can take a quokka whale shark tour from Exmouth or Coral selfie on pristine Rottnest Island, tantalise Bay for the ultimate wildlife encounter – your tastebuds in the Swan Valley or Perth swimming with the world’s largest fish. Hills wine regions, swim with dolphins Whale sharks visit Ningaloo Reef from at Rockingham, cruise the canals in mid-March to the end of July; or swim Mandurah, or discover maritime history, with humpback whales from August to a World Heritage-listed prison and a November. You can also swim with giant bohemian lifestyle in the eclectic port city of manta rays while keeping an eye out for Fremantle. sea turtles, dugongs and game fish. • Beach sunsets. With 19 pristine metropolitan beaches to choose from, it’s easy to find your own piece of paradise to enjoy one of WA’s famous coastal sunsets. 6 TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef • Friendly dolphins at Monkey Mia. Australia’s South West One of the world’s most reliable places for wild dolphin encounters, Monkey Mia’s Here you’ll find world-class food and wine, curious bottlenose dolphins have been beautiful beaches, surfing, cave systems, tall swimming to shore to interact with humans tree forests, whale-watching, wildflowers and for more than 40 years. While in the World the famous wine region of Margaret River. As Heritage-listed Shark Bay area, you can one of only 36 bio-diversity hotspots on Earth, also spot sea turtles and dugongs, admire the South West has thousands of plant species the world’s oldest and largest living fossils found nowhere else in the world.