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Government launches festive tourism campaign to help beleaguered industry

Charlotte EltonThe West Australian
Tourism Minister David Templeman at the new tourism campaign launch.
Camera IconTourism Minister David Templeman at the new tourism campaign launch. Credit: Supplied

The tourism industry is doing it “tough,” Minister David Templeman has conceded while launching a new festive travel marketing campaign.

Tourism WA’s ‘Give the Gift of Travel’ marketing campaign encourages people to book or buy vouchers for WA tourism experiences direct with local operators.

From cruises, to segway tours, to skydiving, there are a bevy of experiences that the industry are touting as exciting Christmas presents.

People can browse the options here.

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Posing next to Santa — who arrived at the press conference by skydiving from a plane — Minister Templeman urged punters to book WA experiences.

“Give a gift of travel, support our local tourism industry,” he said.

“We know that this is the best state in Australia to sell the product and the suite of opportunities are remarkable.”

The tourism sector has urged the government to set a date for re-opening the borders. Premier Mark McGowan has said the domestic and international borders would open when 90 per cent of the state’s population aged above 12 years old was fully vaccinated, estimated to be in late January or early February.

WA’s Tourism Council has begged the government to set a date.

“Every day WA remains without a date, we are at a disadvantage to other states for recruiting staff, attracting visitors and keeping tourism businesses going,” the council’s chief executive Evan Hall said.

Today, Minister Templeman said the government would open up when it was “safe.”

“When it’s safe to do so, there’s going to be some magnificent opportunities that will continue to to open up for people who haven’t been to our state or haven’t been been to our state for a while,” he said.

“I’m amazed by (the industry’s) resilience. They are remarkable.”

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