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Category: Government and Politics / Tourism

WA Labor vows to make tourism key election flashpoint

Monday, 7 Mar 2016 13:15:20

A crowd of delegates at the Perth Convention Centre. (Supplied: Perth Convention Bureau)

Labor has pledged to make boosting tourism a key flashpoint of next year's state election with a promise to increase funding to the Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) if it wins office.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan has promised an extra $5 million annual funding to the PCB, which helps not-for-profit associations, corporations and others bring their conferences to Western Australia.

The State Government cut funding to the PCB by $5.3 million over three years, which the tourism/hospitality sector argued would cost the city's hotels, restaurants and wider economy about $85 million over the same period.

The Government provides three-quarters of PCB's funding, with hospitality operators putting in the rest.

Mr McGowan said the Government's decision to cut funding to PCB was foolish because every dollar invested generated $30 in economic return for the state.

"This is about generating jobs for the future for Western Australia," he said.

Mr McGowan said the funding pledge would provide certainty for the sector, and the spin-off to the WA economy from conventions was enormous because attendees were "big spenders".

"Your average business delegate to a convention, spends four to five times what an ordinary tourist does in Western Australian, that's why we need to invest in conventions and attract more conventions to Western Australia," he said.

Industry calls for 'high calibre' tourism minister

Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall welcomed Labor's announcement and estimated the additional funding to PCB would generate $155 million in direct spending into the state each year.

"We have calculated this will create at least 340 new jobs in the economy in areas like hotels, event management, retail ... because we're bringing in high yield business delegates," he said.

Tourism Minister Kim Hames is expected to give up the portfolio and move to the backbench when the Premier Colin Barnett does a flagged Cabinet reshuffle close to Easter.

Mr Hall would not name who he would like to get the tourism portfolio but said the sector wanted a "high calibre" replacement.

"Tourism is an absolute growth industry for the future, it needs a senior minister in cabinet making sure that Western Australia enjoys that economic development," he said.

"A deputy premier, premier, a senior cabinet minister, that's what tourism needs."

Opposition tourism spokesman Paul Papalia said the Government's decision to cut PCB funding was "crazy" and showed it was lazy and tokenistic about reeling in expenditure.

"Because if you were going to cut anything in the state budget, at a time when you desperately needed jobs, this is the last thing you'd cut," he said.

Dr Hames' office has been contacted for comment.

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