Push for post fire tourists to Margaret River
- Monday, 13 February 2012 07:08
West Australian tourism minister Kim Hames has announced an advertising campaign to encourage people to holiday in the Margaret River wine region a downturn in bookings since the November bushfires in the state's southwest.
Mr Hames said while the fire-ravaged area in Prevelly was relatively small, less than 1.5% of the region, its effect on tourism had been felt across the entire region between Busselton and Augusta. "The perception was that much more of the region had been affected than had actually been burned.
"Figures from the Augusta-Margaret River Tourism Association show a 9% decrease in bookings to the region since November 2011 compared to the same period in the previous 12 months. The message now is that not only is the greater Margaret River wine region open for business, but there are some great deals to be had over the next few months," he said.
