Domestic Albany flights on the radar to drive tourism and realise potential

Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington has declared interstate flights to and from the city’s airport are a “distinct possibility” in the next decade. His comments come after the development of an Albany Regional Airport master plan was highlighted as one of nine priority infrastructure projects for the Great Southern in a tourism planning document last month. Mr Wellington said the City was well aware the airport needed an upgrade. “The realisation of doing that would be somewhere in the region of $30 million, which we don’t have right now,” he said. “We would need funding support to do that.” The tourism planning document published last month by Australia’s South West recommends upgrading the airport “to explore interstate and short-haul international passenger and freight routes”. “I think in the not-too-distant future — probably in the next 10 years or so — interstate flights and bigger planes coming here is a distinct possibility,” Mr Wellington said. “We’ve got to spend the money on infrastructure to make that happen, though.” Albany’s untapped tourism potential is repeatedly mentioned throughout the ASW planning document. Mr Wellington said it was pleasing to see that potential being acknowledged outside the region. “It’s a fairly in-depth document, but there is not a lot in there we didn’t already know because the potential has always been here,” he said. “The timing is pretty good coming up to the (city’s) bicentennial in 2026.” Shire of Plantagenet president Chris Pavlovich described the document as “high-end” and said he would like to see governments focus on continuing to improve built infrastructure. “There is a lot of effort put into branding and promotion but the Granite Skywalk, The Gap, the National Anzac Centre and the Tree Top Walk are all fantastic government initiatives and investments which are must-see when people visit people visit the area,” he said. He said active and eco-tourism — also highlighted as opportunities throughout the document — were driving massive increases in tourism. “Twenty to 30 years ago, people used to go down to stay at Parry Beach or Cheynes Beach for a week or two and they wouldn’t leave there— they’d cook chops and drink beers until it was time to go home,” he said. “Now I see every second car going down the highway has pushbikes on the back or a camper trailer or whatever and they’re looking for a regional experience which is more than just sitting in one place for two weeks over the school holidays. “So you need that ‘wow’ factor that you get with the Granite Skywalk, the Tree Top Walk or The Gap, and then they need the ability to eat, drink and socialise in-between those wow factors.” Shire of Denmark president Ceinwen Gearon said the document was a “pretty good cross-section of the tourist offerings and potentials in the area”. She said the presence of support for Noongar-led initiatives within the framework would please many Denmark residents and she would like to see greater investment in eco-tourism. “The Shire of Denmark has a sustainable tourism strategy that recognises that while tourism brings many advantages, it also puts additional pressure on infrastructure, waste management and essential services,” she said. “The community of Denmark values the shire’s natural environment, and we are keen to ensure respectful, sensitive use of this diverse ecosystem. “But we also acknowledge that a shared vision and approach by stakeholders and industry will be a key factor in its success.” The ASW framework also highlighted the Great Southern’s “brand fragmentation and lack of clear regional identity and visitor proposition” as a challenge. Mr Wellington said it was difficult to find a brand name that encapsulated such a large and diverse region. “We called it Amazing South Coast, which the hinterland didn’t pay much attention to because they’re not too attached to it,” he said. “Not all the attractions are in and around Albany, but you come to Albany because that is where the accommodation is.” “That is going to be pivotal in terms of providing that infrastructure for people to stay — it’s a chicken and the egg kind of situation because the potential is certainly here, but you’ve got to realise that potential.” Ms Gearon said the document showed the Great Southern performed well against the ASW tourism product pillars. “As a smaller local government area which attracts tourism, it always beneficial to lean on our neighbours to build a tourism experience for the whole journey rather than simply being an ‘end destination’,” she said. “Branding, attracting, and selling visitation experiences across the region, rather than by location, is a distinct opportunity worth pursuing.” Mr Pavlovich said industry needed to buy in to support any region-wide brand for it to survive and a united voice would help. “We’ve got to be careful that we don’t put lines up where the coastal towns are promoting the coast and nothing beyond the Stirling Ranges,” he said. “It’s one adventure, one tourism offering that you can stay in any town you like and within half an hour or an hour you can drive to everything from mountains to rainforests to white beaches to lakes for skiing. “There are plenty of opportunities in the Great Southern.” ASW sought feedback from key stakeholders throughout August based on the document, which aimed to provide a “succinct summary of the key strategies” proposed for the region’s new tourism plan. The next step in the process will be the production of action plans for each of ASW’s four sub-regions — Bunbury-Geographe, the Margaret River region, Southern Forest and Valleys, and the Great Southern.