Western Australia's tourism industry is reeling from mass cancellations by Chinese tourists due to the coronavirus outbreak, with some businesses already laying off staff. The state's tour operators, which had enjoyed a boom in Chinese visitors and a recent trial of direct Perth-to-Shanghai flights, are now facing a sharp downturn during the peak season following China's ban on group package vacations.
Peter House, manager of the Lobster Shack at Cervantes, 200 kilometres north of Perth, reported hundreds of cancellations. He said about 10 staff had been cut from the roster. 'Normally by this time of the week, predictions for next week we would have had bookings in excess of thousands, but at this stage we have got less than 100,' he said.
Geraldton Air Charter managing director Wendy Mann said up to 20 per cent of the company's passengers were from mainland China, and bookings from next week had been cancelled by Chinese tour companies. She expects to lose about 10 per cent of flight bookings and may consider laying off staff if the decline continues. The company has stepped up hygiene measures, with pilots and administrative staff wearing masks.
However, not all operators are affected equally. Caversham Wildlife Park owner David Thorne reported a boost in tourist numbers due to the devastating fires in eastern Australia, as Western Australia has been less impacted by fires. He said he does not rely solely on Chinese visitors and has diversified his marketing globally.
The WA Government announced a $2.85 million investment to attract interstate visitors, aiming to offset the impacts of fires and the coronavirus. A recent survey by the WA Tourism Council, conducted before the outbreak, found 67 per cent of tourism businesses had seen cancellations and a fall in forward bookings, attributed to a misconception that the entire country was in danger due to east coast bushfires.
