Tourism WA report for 2017/18/19 reveals Great Southern visitor numbers were on the rise but the number of nights stayed decreased

Visitor numbers in the Great Southern are trending upwards but the visitors are not staying for as long, according to a Tourism WA report released this month. The Overnight Visitor Factsheet 2017/18/19 showed the three-year average annual spend was $248 million over an average of 2.73 million nights. The three-year average for visitors who stayed at least one night in the region was 744,000 people. That number was up by 42,000 over the 2016-18 average. Of the visitors from 2017-19, 84 per cent were intrastate travellers, with eight per cent each from interstate and international. International visitors had the longest average length of stay of almost eight nights, while those closer to the region chose to stay an average of three nights. But despite the increase in visitors, the overall number of nights spent in the region was down in each of the three categories, falling from 2.845 million in 2016-18 to 2.73 million in 2017-19. In the Tourism WA report, which goes back to 2013-15, the overall length of stay in the Great Southern peaked at 3.03 million nights a year in 2014-16. The lowest point was in 2013-15, when 653,000 visitors stayed an average of 2.63 million nights per year. Amazing South Coast chief executive Peter Griggs said the three-year 2017-19 average reflected a pre-COVID-19 trend when the area was riding a wave of tourism. “That is the story of a fairly stable, growing region as far as tourism numbers go,” he said. “But within that count are attractions like the Field of Light, the National Anzac Centre, the Granite Skywalk and those hero captures. “The downside is we have now got businesses that have lost money for the first six months of the year so they are already behind, but thank goodness it is strong in booking now.” Domestic visitors had a much higher average daily spend of $175, compared to international visitors who spent just $66 a day. The fact sheet notes that 33 per cent of intrastate travellers stayed at a friend’s or relative’s property, and visiting friends and family is in the top three leisure activities for intrastate travellers. Mr Griggs said intrastate visitors were key to boosting spending in the region. “As soon as the area opened up on May 18, we had families re-engaging because they couldn’t for three months,” he said. “When they come, they look at places to go and places to eat.” He said ASC had been focusing on marketing the destination as a whole to intrastate travellers.