Bob Kucera

Bob Kucera

Former Minister for Disability Services; Sport and Recreation; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests; Seniors

    Study outlines future for visitor servicing across Western Australia

    25/05/2004 11:17 AM
     
    25/5/04

    In Bunbury today, Tourism Minister Bob Kucera launched the first comprehensive study of how tourism information is provided to visitors across Western Australia.

    The Visitor Servicing Study, prepared by the WA Tourism Commission, outlines how best to provide local, national and international tourists with information about the State. It also defines issues which the tourism industry needs to make decisions about.

    Mr Kucera said the study highlighted the valuable role visitor centres and tourists bureaux play in ensuring visitors have the best possible experience while visiting WA.

    “One of the most important things to come from this study is the need to make visitor servicing part of everyone’s job,” he said.

    “Whether you work at the local visitor centre, serve tourists in a shop or have a job at a petrol station, we are all involved in tourism and meeting their needs is vital to the impression visitors get of how WA and our people look after tourists.”

    The study looks at the various ways in which visitors get their information in WA, including through local visitor centres, information points, a virtual call centre and online.

    The Minister said it showed a strong partnership between local government, communities and the State Government was vital to ensure the survival and growth of WA’s101 visitor centres.

    Key recommendations in the study include:
    • creating a tiered system for visitor centres across the State;
    • strengthening the accreditation system for visitor centres so visitors can be assured of consistent high quality;
    • improving the training of visitor centre staff and encouraging the tourism industry to introduce an industrial award for visitor centre staff; and
    • working with the tourism industry to ensure that they make a strong contribution to visitor servicing through membership and participating in the management of visitor centres.
    The study makes 69 recommendations designed to ensure the maintenance of a strong network of high quality visitor centres driving tourism across the State.

    “Tourism is a key economic driver for WA, employing 72,000 people and generating $3.6billion each year for the State,” Mr Kucera said.

    “It is now up to industry to discuss and agree upon the implementation of the recommendations and for State and local governments to decide what support it should provide to assist with this.

    “These recommendations will bring enormous benefit to the regions as industry moves to implement them.

    “Of the 101 visitor centres across the State, only seven are in the metropolitan area, so this is really about driving tourism in the regions.”

    The study has involved extensive consultation with representatives from visitor centres, local government, State agencies and the tourism industry. Market research was also undertaken with domestic and international tourists in Perth and regional areas.

    The project was overseen by a working party led by Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich MLC.

    The Visitor Servicing Study is available online in the industry publications section of http://www.westernaustralia.com

    Minister's Office - 9213 7000