Tourism WA will next week launch a $4.4-million campaign aimed at luring workers from the eastern states and New Zealand to fill a shortfall of about 15,000 hospitality jobs in Western Australia.
Tourism Minister Roger Cook said the Discover the Other Side campaign would run on TV, radio, and online.
"This will be a promotional campaign which will run in the east coast and in New Zealand to encourage people there to really consider Western Australia as a place that they can come to really get a great experience in a terrific part of the world," he said.
"But also really just to extend their own hospitality skills and take advantage of everything Western Australia has to offer."
Domestic arrivals into WA from July are back to about 77 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, similar to Sydney — which has reached 76 per cent — and Melbourne, which is at 70 per cent.
Forward bookings for domestic arrivals into WA are at 105 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
'Intense' short courses for bartenders, baristas
The effort to bring hospitality workers into the state comes alongside a $3.9 million bid to boost WA's hospitality and tourism ranks from within.
Over two years, the funding will go partly towards short-term intensive training courses for baristas, bar staff and other hospitality workers.
These "intensive" courses will also be targeted toward WA's international students.
"The jobs that are on offer are part-time, which work really well alongside the studying that students are expected to do," said StudyPerth CEO Derryn Belford.
"And, of course, it gives them the opportunity to spend time in an Australian working environment, which is really, really important."
The rest of the $3.9 million will be spent promoting "local jobs for local people".
Mr Cook said there would be a particular focus on promoting hospitality as an attractive career option for children in regional WA.
"Really making sure that we can really bring their imaginations to life, and for them to consider tourism as a part of their future," he said.
The tourism minister said government would work closely with regional TAFEs.
Dumped campaign not wasted
Mr Cook was also asked to defend reports of a $2 million tourism campaign shot in 2020 being dumped.
Mr Cook insisted "it wasn't a failed campaign" and that much of the content was repurposed in subsequent campaigns which had been adapted to suit the pandemic.
"I can't verify the $2 million number that was mentioned in The West [newspaper] this morning, but I want to assure everyone that everything that was done in relation to that campaign is an asset of Tourism WA," he said.
"In hindsight, you could probably say there wasn't much of an opportunity for us to launch any sort of tourism product in 2021, but that wasn't our expectation in 2020."
Mr Cook said when it became clear COVID-19 disruptions to the tourism industry would last for longer, the initial campaign was shelved but content from it was repurposed.
He said the footage was used in the Adventure Awaits international campaign and the Wander out Yonder domestic campaign.
The footage in question was shot by an eastern states film crew who were granted G2G passes to bypass WA's closed border.
Mr Cook said the decision to use an interstate team was made before he was tourism minister, but he was "proud" Tourism WA was now using a local creative team.
TourismWA is set to launch a new global campaign and strategy early in September and at its heart is expected to be a focus on promoting the state's Aboriginal culture and history.
More than 100 new jobs added to skilled migration list
The efforts in the tourism and hospitality sector follow the state government cutting red tape and expanding the list of skilled migrants into WA.
Among the temporarily relaxed rules are:
- A halving of the required employment contract from 12 months to six months
- Waiving a $200 application fee
- Removal of additional English requirements for professional and manager occupations
- A reduction of work experience requirements
The list of occupations the government is hoping to bring to WA has been expanded from 170 to 276, with 46 new medical and health-related jobs.
At the top of the non-medical jobs added to the list is "Accommodation and Hospitality Managers".
