- More than $500,000 of vouchers for local tours and experiences on offer
- 'Gifts From Western Australia' campaign encourages visitors to support WA tourism operators and boost local economy as border opens
- Promotion begins March 3, including 1,000 vouchers for international students
- Follows the four business support packages the McGowan Government has launched since December, with business assistance throughout the pandemic now over $1.6 billion
More than $500,000 worth of free tourism vouchers will be handed out at Perth Airport this week to welcome interstate and international arrivals - providing a major boost to local tourism operators as borders ease.
The McGowan Government promotion, through Tourism WA, will begin after midnight on March 3 and encourage visitors to support local tour and experience businesses during their trip to Western Australia.
The campaign will provide 3,400 'Gifts From Western Australia' two-person vouchers, ranging in value from $150 to $2,200 for a three-day tour of Margaret River.
The vouchers offer tourism experiences from about 20 different operators, including skydiving at Rottnest Island, swimming with dolphins or touring Penguin Island, as well as sunset stargazing at the Pinnacles.
The giveaway includes 1,000 vouchers for StudyPerth to target to international students.
Tourism WA is also delivering 200 toy quokkas to Qantas to be distributed on the first flights from Sydney and Melbourne, promoting Rottnest Island and 'The World's Happiest Animal' to WA arrivals.
WA's full border opening will allow for safe travel from interstate and overseas from 12.01am March 3, with vaccination and testing requirements on arrival - the softest landing off the back of WA's world-leading vaccination rate.
I think the point people are missing is that this is to help local businesses, the government doesn't need the money. The tourism sector did not close the border, tour operators didn't chose to lose their businesses to keep covid out.