Tourism

Alasdair Malloch has transformed Whipper Snapper Distillery's business model in just two weeks, organising a joint venture with LabWest and Ferngrove Wine Group to produce medical-grade hand sanitiser for some major clients.

Online travel agency Webjet will raise $275 million and retailer Kathmandu Holdings will raise $201 million, to deal with the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses.

RAC is the latest business to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, announcing it will temporarily close all nine of its parks and resorts throughout Western Australia until May.

In a single month, the entire tourism industry has been turned on its head, with operators big and small subject to a harsh new reality.

Industry peak body Fashion Council WA entered administration on Friday, four months after private business Perth Fashion Festival suffered the same fate.

The travel industry is reeling from a decision by the US government to ban all travel from Europe for a month, while the Australian government has decided against a similar move after consideration. Shares in ASX-listed travel companies were smashed today in response to the clamp down and as travel dries up globally.

OPINION: Clear, sensible thinking and strategising are essential, both on a personal level and in business, when responding to threats posed by the coronavirus.

The state government has urged Western Australian tourism operators to bring forward deals and promotions in support of the local industry, as it launches a ‘Do it in WA’ campaign that will use existing funding.

Qantas has slashed the capacity of its international flights by almost a quarter for the next six months due to the coronavirus impact. The airline also announced cost saving measures, including cuts in salaries for its top executives.

Five Western Australian tourism businesses have received gold medals at the recent 2019 Australian Tourism Awards ceremony, with recognition for best accommodation and food tourism excellence among the winning categories.

Australian Venue Co has plans to undertake $2 million of renovations for the Victoria Park Hotel, which it bought last year as part of a $200 million purchase of Coles’ portfolio of pubs and restaurants.

Australia's four major airports achieved record profit in the past financial year, according to the ACCC, with Perth Airport touting its high passenger satisfaction relative to its counterparts on the east coast.

Western Australia’s tourism industry could receive a much welcomed boost in the coming months, as Princess Cruises diverts several of its routes to Australia due to port closures throughout Asia.

A long-term vision to create a world-class destination at Victoria Quay is close to being unveiled.

Tourism is the canary in the coalmine ahead of the global economic hit expected as China slows while dealing with the coronavirus.

UPDATED: The state government has said it will adopt most of the recommendations arising from a parliamentary inquiry into short-term accommodation, with Tourism Council WA and the Australian Hotels Association WA welcoming the pledge to apply more stringent regulation to the sector.

The state government has today pledged to spend $2 million promoting regional tourism and $8 million on aviation, as it ramps-up its response to the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

For a man tasked with delivering air travel solutions and encouraging people to fly, Kevin Brown says the bulk of his recent work has involved helping the travelling public spend less time in transit.

The state government has approved an application by the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation to build accommodation at Millstream Chichester National Park, with the company to develop glamping tents, caravan sites and a new restaurant at the park.

The state and federal governments today announced the first details of several planned infrastructure projects on Rottnest Island, on the back of $33 million in investments for the island over the next three years.

Busselton Jetty will strengthen its position as one of the South West’s foremost tourist attractions on the back of new amenities and renovations to the site, according to chief executive Lisa Shreeve.

Growing the number of direct routes from and into Asia will be a priority for Perth Airport in the coming year, chief executive Kevin Brown says.

Findings released today by Tourism Research Australia show 2.9 million visitors spent a total of $10.9 billion in Western Australia in the year to September 2019, a substantial increase on previous periods.

Premier Mark McGowan this morning said direct flights from China were critical to growing WA’s tourism industry, as the first direct flight from Shanghai to Perth arrived at Perth Airport.

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia announced a series of marketing campaigns with tourism operators in Germany, Switzerland and the UK in December as part of the state government’s $12 million marketing campaign targeting European tourists.

The state government has announced new direct flights between the Philippines and WA beginning in March of next year, with tickets expected to go on sale this month.

Accor has announced Novotel will operate the hotel component of Fragrance Group's NV Apartments and Hotel development, which will partially open later this month.

Property manager Hawaiian has announced it will commence with a $45 million refurbishment of the Parmelia Hilton Perth in December.

Qantas has posted record first-quarter revenue but flagged a profit hit of up to $55 million from protests in Hong Kong and the US-China trade tiff.

A team of Western Australian entrepreneurs is preparing to launch a new brewery designed to create employment opportunities for Aboriginal people, with proceeds from one of its beers to support returned servicemen and women.

OPINION: The relevant authorities could do more to improve tourists’ experience of the island jewel off Perth’s coast.

Busselton is set to have an underwater observatory, after the federal government committed $13 million to the project as part of its Regional Growth Fund.