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WA State Government offers $100 travel vouchers as part of ‘Wander out Yonder’ campaign

Charlotte EltonThe West Australian
South West icon: The Busselton Jetty.
Camera IconSouth West icon: The Busselton Jetty. Credit: BWA_IMAGES/Getty Images/iStockphoto

In its latest bid to get Western Australians exploring their own backyard, the State Government has made $100 vouchers available for local tourists.

Premier Mark McGowan announced the $1 million initiative this morning as part of the Government’s Wander Out Yonder campaign.

“We’ve seen a massive expansion in the number of people holidaying around WA — and our hotels, restaurants and bars are doing very well,” said Mr McGowan, speaking at tourist attraction Rockingham Wild Encounters.

“But we want to also share the love, and make sure that experience tourism businesses get Western Australians coming in.”

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The vouchers will be redeemable on wine tours.
Camera IconThe vouchers will be redeemable on wine tours. Credit: Tourism WA/Tourism WA

Vouchers can be used to gain a $100 discount on a variety of different experiences, as long as the voucher-holder spends at least $100 themselves. The State Government is offering 10,000 vouchers to the first people to register on its website.

Participating businesses include fishing charters, Aboriginal cultural tours, winery tours, and diving experiences.

The announcement hopes to mitigate the crushing blow that coronavirus has exacted on experience providers. With a large proportion of their clientele coming from interstate, these businesses have been hit particularly hard by the border closure.

Despite the new initiative’s plans to inject $2 million into the WA tourism economy, there is a large gap to fill.

Tourism Research Australia statistics show that WA had 1.81 million inter-state visitors in the year ending March 2020, visitors with a total spend of $2.02 billion in the state. Since April, no inter-state visitors have been allowed in to WA without an exemption.

Despite the difficult times, Chad D’Souza, the general manager at Rockingham Wild Encounters, remains optimistic.

“We’ve changed and adapted to the local market, and we’re having to turn locals into visitors,” he said.

“The voucher idea is great, hopefully it helps locals experience all of the wonderful things that WA has to offer.”

To register your interest, sign up online from 10am Monday at www.wandervoucher.com.au.

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