Albany tourism operators waiting to welcome visitors to boost the economy

Albany tourism operators are ready to make a comeback with WA’s tough regional border restrictions to be relaxed on Monday. Since April 1, the regional lock-down has forced the tourism industry to a crippling standstill. The State Government made the announcement the sector had been waiting for on Sunday, when it unveiled the next phase in WA’s roadmap for economic recovery. From May 18, holiday-makers and families driven apart by border closures can hit the road between the Great Southern, South West, Wheatbelt, Peel and Perth regions. Not only will travel be allowed, but a slice of normality will return to cafes and restaurants with dine-in meal services for up to 20 patrons to be allowed. BIG4 Emu Beach Holiday Park owner Luke Shuttleworth said he received more than 40 bookings in less than 24 hours after Sunday’s announcement. “To hear the phones ringing — it’s a sound we haven’t heard in a while,” he said. “The intrastate travel restrictions have been the thing that have slowed us right down. “Ninety per cent of our market comes from the metro area.” After having to stand down 50 per cent of his staff due to the pandemic, Mr Shuttleworth said he was looking forward to getting them back to work. Just a few kilometres away, Mr Shuttleworth’s father Simon runs BIG4 Middleton Beach Holiday Park. Simon Shuttleworth said his business had been operating at about 5 per cent over the past month with the park looking down the barrel of a $1 million loss over three months if restrictions were not lifted. But since the announcement, the future was looking bright. “We have been in just about hibernation but the phones have been running pretty hot and we have some online bookings coming through,” he said. “We’ve got the Perth market to ourselves for the next few months. “People still want to travel and they are ready to move. “We are open for business so get down here.” Denmark winery owner Dr Steve Hall called on West Australians to explore their own backyard after Sunday’s announcement. Dr Hall estimated a loss of about 70 per cent of business at his Rockcliffe winery. Despite the dip in revenue he said he refused to lay off staff. Only one staff member left his winery — a French national who wanted to go home. “Like most other wineries, we realised that if you’re going to sell wine, you’re going to sell it online,” he said. “We did pretty well with that over the past five weeks. We made sure the website was working well, we put out mail-drops to our cellar club members, we did telemarketing.” Dr Hall said he hoped WA’s cooped-up population would look to their own State for adventures. “I think people will go out but, of course, there’ll be certain people who won’t. It will take time for people to come back,” he said. “But I say to the people in Perth, you can’t go internationally, you can’t go interstate — so, if you wanted to take a long weekend to come down here then that would be a good move. “It’s a beautiful place to come to.” Amazing South Coast chief executive Peter Grigg said the relaxation of the regional borders was more than welcome, but the industry needed to move with caution. He said the Great Southern’s tourism industry was poised for a strong return, but keeping the community safe by following guidelines remained the priority. “It is something we’ve all wanted, across all industries,” he said. “We’ve needed some good news in relation to being able to open our doors, welcome people back and generate some business. “Whether you are a bakery, a chemist, a caravan park or a motel — everybody in this region benefits from the tourist dollar.”