22/10/00
Tourist bureaus across Western Australia will benefit from extra funding assistance of $250,000 in the wake of the State Government's major roll out of the innovative WA Tourism Network.
Tourism Minister Norman Moore made the announcement last night in Albany.
The WA Tourism Network as one of the key strategies of the Partnership 21 five-year tourism industry plan.
It is a comprehensive, State-wide marketing network using an on-line information system of Western Australian holiday information to make it easier for tourists to find out more about the State.
Mr Moore said that the State Government has already provided $840,000 for network and the creation of a Virtual Call Centre which used voice recognition technology to divert callers to the most appropriate source of information for their needs.
"The Network is prefaced on establishing an effective partnership between operators, visitor centres, associations and government,” Mr Moore said.
He said that the extra funds would go directly to the tourist bureaus to help them implement the change more effectively.
The State Government had been working closely with centres across Western Australia over the last four months to ensure a smooth transition to the Network.
Mr Moore said he was pleased with the overwhelming conceptual support for the WA Tourism Network from bureaus around the State.
"This transition allows them to quickly take advantage of the opportunities that the WA Tourism Network represents for them and their local regions," Mr Moore said.
"It is crucial for the tourism industry to have an effective structure in place that will ultimately benefit local business and therefore the general well-being of Western Australia’s economy," Mr Moore said.
"When there is a thriving tourism business, regional towns are more likely to keep their banks, shops and schools, which in turn generates employment."
Media contacts:
Hartley Joynt (Minister’s office) 9321 1444
Paula Counsel, Corporate Communications Project Manager, Western Australian Tourism Commission, 9220 1716
