EFFORTS to promote Broome as a year-round holiday destination, have been thwarted by the Kimberley’s notorious wet season again, higher fuel prices and distance.
EFFORTS to promote Broome as a year-round holiday destination, have been thwarted by the Kimberley’s notorious wet season again, higher fuel prices and distance.
Kimberley Tourism Association chief Brian Tolhurst says he predicted 2000 would be a “bad year” for tourism in the Far North West.
That was before the triple whammy of two cyclones, Steve and Rosita, which drastically extended the Wet, followed by the Olympics and anxiety over GST which kept many older travellers home.
The extended Wet has swelled Lake Argyle to 30 times the size of Sydney Harbour – normally it is 9 – 10 times – creating a new tourist attraction.
Even so, Lake Argyle Cruises operator Steve Sharpe says it has been “a disappointing season.”
And no wonder with higher fuel prices deterring round Australia holidaymakers from exploring this spectacular 423,000 square kilometres of remote wilderness.
The final blow was the airline price war in the Eastern States luring Sydney and Melbourne toutists to Queensland with $100 and less single fares.
While many Kimberley small businesses say they are hurting this season, Mr Tolhurst insists they haven’t come out of it too badly.
While some Broome resort figures dropped, the town was packed out with more than 22,000 winter tourists in the sunny the June to September weather.
Donna Aldersea who operates a chain of Kimberley tourist souvenir and gift shops said many travellers had cancelled their holidays in the Kimberley following cyclone Rosita.
“They didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
“Then with GST, and mortgage and interest rates going up as well as petrol, people have been reluctant to spend.”
Former Broome Shire President Angus Murray, a director of PRD Realty which manages several resorts, including the Habitat and Broome Beach resorts said: “I think its been a reasonable year but not consistent across the board.”
The world-famed Cable Beach Inter-Continental Resort said it had been “an okay year”.
Cable Beach’s director of marketing Deborah Carr said: “People are a lot more wary now. Travelling hits the back pocket.”
Mr Tolhurst, however, remains optimistic with big plans for Kimberley 2001 to persuade tourists that the summer wet season, despite difficulties with flooding, swollen rivers and washed away roads, is a time of adventure and experiences not to be missed.
A new marketing plan based on “Destination Kimberley – there’s never been a better time” has just been launched.
The KTA urges cyclone season visitors in the Wet to “plan for the expected… and be ready to experience the totally unexpected”
“What we are trying to do is increase the viability of tourism in the Kimberley by levelling out the peaks and troughs,” Mr Tolhurst said.
As the gateway to the Far North he wants to see a new five-star hotel for Broome added to the present 800 bed capacity and regular cheaper airline links with Brisbane through the Alice and Ayers Rock to Broome.
He says the Bungle, 350 kms south of Kununurra has just been voted the new top Australian icon after Ayers Rock by the In-Bound Tour Operators Association.
To achieve their aims, KTA wants to form an airlines sub-committee to lobby for more flights into the region.
Cut-price Brisbane based Virgin Blue has held extensive talks about into Broome International.
“I think we will know in four to five months,” Mr Tolhurst said.
Virgin has said no firm decision could be taken until April when its takes delivery of a new fleet of specially tailored Boeing 737 700s.
Commenting on the need for another new luxury hotel for Broome Ms Carr said: “Competition is healthy at this stage. But until you get 737s starting to land at Broome with more regular flights there isn’t going to be the demand.
“And until someone builds, the airlines aren’t going to come in – so it is Catch 22.”
She said the new tourism strategy was to extend shoulder seasons into the lows – with February and March picking up into the April/May onwards peak season through to September and then going on through October and November.
“We need to be seen as a tropical destination alongside Bali,” she said.
Broome at present with still perfect weather around 31 degrees C° is almost empty except for English tourists taking advantage of the low Aussie dollar and cheaper off-season in Europe winter flights.
