wa tourism council

Experience a state of wanderlust

Explore our regions.

Click a region on the map for an overview of the destination.

Trip Inspiration

Enjoy Nature in Style with a Glamping Adventure

From elevated basics to luxury amenities, explore Washington State’s glamping options.

10+ Ideas for a Family Vacation in Washington

Discover some of the best family getaways in Washington.

READ MORE »

3 Days in the Tri-Cities

Find history, outdoor adventure, wine, and more as you explore Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco.

Best Places for Kayaking in Washington State

From saltwater bays to mountain lakes, Washington’s kayaking opportunities are boundless.

A Scenic Eastern Washington Road Trip Itinerary

Immerse yourself in diverse natural beauty and find recommendations for what to see and where to stay.

Washington’s Best Fishing Spots

Abundant waterways and diverse species make for world-class fishing in Washington

Exciting Outdoor Adventures in Washington

From climbing mountain peaks to diving the depths of Puget Sound, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy.

Visitor Guide & Map Request

Get the Official Washington State Visitors’ Guide — our handy resource for planning your trip.

LEARN MORE »

Email Newsletter Signup

Stay in the know with stories, guides, and itineraries delivered straight to your inbox. 

Follow Us On Instagram

Stateofwatourism.

Sponsored Content

Become a Member Enquire now

• Representation
• Media Releases

Winners Announced in 2024 7News Top Tourism Town Awards

11 June 2024

Busselton has been named the winner of the 2024 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Award at the 2024 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference Dinner in Mandurah tonight.

Also in the Top Tourism Town category, Geraldton won Silver and Collie claimed Bronze, both towns winning the award for a second year in a row. Busselton will receive a $20,000 airtime package to promote the town on television network 7 Regional WA. In the Small Tourism Town category, the Gold Medal was awarded to Exmouth for a third year running, with the town being inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with receiving a $10,000 airtime package from 7 Regional WA. The Silver Medal was won by Christmas Island, and Carnarvon was awarded Bronze. In the category of Tiny Tourism Town, the Gold Medal was awarded to Kalbarri, with Dwellingup winning Silver and Coral Bay claiming Bronze. Kalbarri will receive a $5,000 airtime package to promote the town on 7 Regional WA. The awards program is a major highlight of the State’s tourism calendar, with prizes eagerly coveted by destinations across Western Australia. Visitor Centres and Local Governments entered the awards on behalf of their destination, and entrants submitted a short video, itinerary and editorial article which was reviewed by a panel of industry judges. The public then had its say, with more than 10,000 people casting a vote for their favourite Tiny, Small and Top Tourism Towns. “Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Top Tourism Town Awards. Busselton, Exmouth, and Kalbarri have all displayed an exceptional commitment to delivering high-quality visitor experiences,” Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said. “All medallists have impressed both an industry panel of judges and the public through consumer voting. They will now go on to represent Western Australia on a national level in the Australian Top Tourism Town Awards,” he said. The 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards have been running for 35 years and recognise cities and towns across Western Australia for their commitment to tourism and the innovative experiences and facilities on offer. The awards are run by Tourism Council WA and Visitor Centres WA, and are supported by 7NEWS, Vanguard Media Group, Tourism WA and RAC Parks & Resorts.

Ends. Media contact: Elena Morabito, 0434 712 230 / [email protected]

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Keep up to date with all the latest news from Tourism Council WA.

To learn more about how becoming a Tourism Council WA member can elevate your business, get in touch with our friendly team.

Contact Info

+61 (08) 9416 0700

1 Resort Drive, Burswood, WA 6100

[email protected]

Upcoming events

• 2024 Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards Gala Dinner

Recreate Responsibly 

Recreate Responsibly in Okanogan Country and your own community.  The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of our lives and caused a great deal of uncertainty. Things are changing on a weekly, or even daily, basis. As parks, trails, and forests begin to reopen, it can be confusing to navigate this “new normal” in terms of how to recreate responsibly. 

Order a free HIKING GUIDE!

Interested in learning more about all the best hiking opportunities in Okanogan Country? Simply follow the link below, choose whether you want a digital or physical copy, and fill out your information to receive your hiking guide free of charge. Okanogan Country is full of beautiful outdoor  fun for everyone!

Okanogan Country In the News

Our region of Washington state has caught the attention of the largest circulation of any newspaper in the Pacific Northwest, The Seattle Times. Click the button below to read through numerous articles featuring many of the incredible and clearly, news-worthy, aspects of Okanogan Country!

Open For Adventure!

Find your adventure in okanogan country.

Fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, horseback riding – we could go on all day long. You will find wide-open spaces teeming with wildlife, spectacular scenery and family fun. Plan your Pacific Northwest Vacation today! 

For more about Okanogan Country, check out our Official Travel Guide .

Okanogan County in North-Central Washington State has the best family vacations! Scenic byways, tours, hikes, and family adventures await you in every corner of Okanogan Country: from the Northern Okanogan Region, to the Methow Valley, across the Columbia River Basin, and into the Heart of the Okanogan. Okanogan Country is one of the best places to visit in Washington State. An affordable family vacation with endless outdoor adventure awaits you in our breathtaking snow-capped North Cascade Mountains and gorgeous winding river basins. Experience a Washington State getaway with fresh wholesome food, blue skies, and starry nights – a vacation that will keep you coming back for more! Check out our Official Guide for fun Washington State family vacation ideas. We have plenty of family vacation resorts with fun things for kids and adults to do! Let us help you plan your best family vacation ever with our Online Travel Planner! A vacation that will keep you coming back for more!

Be sure to checkout our map of Okanogan County, Washington for helpful information about our area, or take a look at our Maps & Guides page for paper maps of our area, including the Okanogan Highlands Map . See for yourself what makes Okanogan Country a premier Pacific Northwest vacation destination!  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us using the information at the bottom of this page. 

TRAVEL INFORMATION

• CHECK OUT MAPS & GUIDES
• FIRE PREVENTION & SAFETY RESOURCES
• GET TRAIL PASS INFO
• SUMMER RECREATION
• CHECK OUT OUR VIDEOS
• OKANOGAN WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST
• HIGHWAY CONDITIONS
• WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE

OKANOGAN COUNTRY ARTS TRAIL

Check out our Public Art Documentary featuring the incredible metal sculptures creator by Native American Artist, Smoker Marchand.

Newest Stories

Butterflies of the Month

Okanogan County is the largest county in Washington state and is famous for its diverse wildlife and plant life. Read More

Antiquing in Tonasket

Tonasket is the ideal destination for those interested in antiquing in Okanogan County. With multiple antique shops conveniently located... Read More

Spring Flowers

Explore local Spring Wildflowers in Okanogan Country! Read More

Spring Horseback Riding

Spring is here and after a cold Winter we are ready! Okanogan country has so many fun spring activities we wanted to highlight some early spring fun.. Read More

EVENTS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

Koulee Kids Festival    

June 20, 22, 27, 29, methow valley chamber music festival  , 4th of july chesaw rodeo.

Find contact information for Tourism Western Australia and Visitor Centres to help with planning your next holiday as well as how to connect with us on social media. 

Need help planning your trip?

Contact the WA Visitor Centre in Perth for more information regarding your trip to Western Australia. When you are here, look out for local visitor centres across the State who can provide you with expert advice and suggestions as well as make any bookings for accommodation, tours or tickets.

WA Visitor Centre

Tel: +61 8 9483 1111 Email: [email protected] Website: www.wavisitorcentre.com.au Address: 55 William Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000

Share your best moments in Western Australia on the socials

We want to hear about your extraordinary moments in Western Australia and share them with the world! 

Here’s how you can get involved:

Permissions 

Tagging and sharing as outlined above gives us permission to feature your images across our digital channels, including our websites, our social media pages, and those of our regional tourism organisations. This allows us all to work together in promoting everything that is amazing about our State.

Tourism Western Australia does not claim any ownership rights to photos or videos that you post on our Facebook wall, tag our page in, or caption with the #WAtheDreamState hashtag on any social media channel.

However, by posting a photo or video to our Facebook wall, tagging our page, using #thisisWA in a post of your own on any social media channel, you hereby grant to Tourism Western Australia a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, revocable, non-transferable, perpetual licence to use, modify, delete from, add to, publicly display and/or reproduce, your photo or video, including without limitation in any online media formats and through any social media channels, pages or accounts.

If your photo or video is used on Tourism Western Australia’s digital or social platforms (including westernaustralia.com ), your name and / or business will always be credited. We may also choose at our sole discretion to link back to your website or social media profile.

You can revoke this licence at any time by contacting us in writing at [email protected] and informing us that you no longer want us to use your photo or video.

From time to time, we may want to use an image in our advertising and should we do so we will endeavor to obtain your permission prior to use.

Subscribe to updates

First Name *

Please choose at least one newsletter * Talking Tourism eNewsletter This is WA eNewsletter

• Accessibility

{{curatedHeading.Title}}

• {{curatedContentLinkItem.Title}}
• Reset text size
• Increase text size

There are a range of training opportunities available for our industry to further develop their skills and knowledge.

Tourism Council WA

We provide funding to Tourism Council WA to deliver industry development programs, including training workshops and mentoring.

Programs include:

• Tourism focused training workshops . These include market insights (e.g. customer service, tourism fundamentals, China ready) and training to improve your business' marketing, communications and online presence.
• One-on-one mentoring through the Tourism Boost program . The program helps WA tourism businesses to sell their product online and introduces new WA tourism product to relevant markets.

Small Business Development Corporation 

Provides training workshops focused on improving business skills.

Australian Tourism Export Council 

Offers tailored training programs to help Australian tourism product become internationally ready.

Australian Hotels Association WA

Provides a wide range of approved training courses  (open link in Chrome) to the hospitality sector.

Resources for businesses and operators

• How to work with us
• Who's who in tourism
• Industry events calendar
• Accreditation
• Get market ready
• Funding and Grants
• Inclusive tourism resources
• Trade Training

Last Reviewed: 2021-01-25

Acknowledgement of Country Tourism Western Australia acknowledges Aboriginal peoples as the traditional custodians of Western Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal West Australians and honour their continuing connection to Country, culture and community. We recognise and appreciate the invaluable contributions made by First Nations peoples across many generations in shaping Western Australia as a premier destination.

• Travel to Western Australia

All contents copyright © Government of Western Australia. All rights reserved.

• Azerbaijani
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Haitian Creole
• Kinyarwanda
• Kurdish (Kurmanji)
• Kurdish (Soranî)
• Odia (Oriya)
• Scots Gaelic

World's biggest tourism summit confirmed for WA

• Western Australia selected to host World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in October 2024
• Global leaders to attend and discuss travel, trade and tourism over multi-day summit in Perth
• Previous attendees include former USA President Barack Obama and French President Emmanuel Macron
• Supported by the Western Australian Government, Business Events Perth, and Business Events Australia

Global leaders from some of the world's biggest companies will come together to discuss tourism and trade after Western Australia was selected to host the prestigious World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit next year.

WTTC is the global authority on tourism and its members include over 200 CEOs, Chairpersons, and Presidents of companies such as Emirates, Etihad Airlines, Hilton Group, Visa, and Expedia.

The annual WTTC summit will take place in October 2024, and spotlight WA as an emerging global leader in travel, tourism and trade.

Previous attendees include former USA President Barack Obama, French President Emmanuel Macron, previous United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and world-famous environmental activist and adventurer Bear Grylls (OBE).

It's the first time the event has been held in Australia, with previous host countries including Spain, China, Japan, the United States, Argentina, and Thailand.

The Summit was secured for the State through a successful bid by the WA Government, in partnership with Business Events Perth, and Business Events Australia.  

The invitation-only event will see world leaders meet with WA decision-makers to discuss the economic, social and environmental issues currently affecting tourism, trade and travel worldwide, and to explore new investment opportunities in our State.

Business events form an important part of the WA Government's strategy to grow WA's tourism industry and further diversify the State's economy. 

Large scale meetings and conferences act as a significant economic driver with business delegates typically spending up to five times more than the average leisure visitor.

Find out more about the summit at WTTC.org .

Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:

"Hosting the WTTC Global Summit in 2024 will position Western Australia as a leader among nations, and allow the WA Government to influence the global tourism and travel agenda, as well as elevate our State's tourism, trade and travel industries.

"It will also allow the world's leading decision makers to experience Perth and WA first-hand, while we demonstrate our State's growth ambition and investment opportunities to the global travel and tourism sector, and showcase the expertise of WA businesses and our wider tourism and trade industries.

"We're really proud to attract business events of this calibre to our State and look forward to welcoming WTTC members and attendees to Western Australia next year."

Comments attributed to Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell:

"The Australian Government is very pleased to have supported the bid for Perth to host the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Summit in 2024.

"The timing next year couldn't be better as the industry continues to emerge from the impacts of the global pandemic and looks to future opportunities for sustainable growth.

"Australia's offerings for both business events and leisure travellers are exceptional and hosting this event will be a terrific opportunity to showcase our outstanding tourism credentials to the world."

Hon. Rita Saffioti

Acknowledgement of country.

The Government of Western Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders both past and present.

Tourism Council says WA at 'disadvantage' on borders as business urges COVID-19 vaccination

The tourism and travel sectors have expressed deep disappointment the McGowan government has not set a date to reopen Western Australia, saying it is urgently needed to allow them to plan and visitors to book tickets.

Key points:

• WA will reopen its border when the vaccination rate reaches 90 per cent
• That could be achieved in late January or early February
• A specific date will be set after the 80 per cent vaccine mark is reached

The state Opposition broadly welcomed the announcement of a plan "of sorts" to ease WA's controlled borders, but joined others in criticising the lack of a date for when that will happen.

Earlier, Premier Mark McGowan said the domestic and international borders would open when 90 per cent of the state's population aged above 12 years old was fully vaccinated , estimated to be in late January or early February.

A date will be set once the 80 per cent vaccination rate is reached, possibly in mid-December.

Mr McGowan defended the decision as reflecting a "cautious and safe" approach that would allow businesses to operate at full capacity over the Christmas period.

But for travel agents like Christian Hunter, it was another blow.

He said the sector had essentially been in a hard lockdown for the past 20 months.

"It's been quite devastating," he said.

Mr Hunter said it was great to now have a plan to work towards.

"But it is a bit of a blow to our sector that we don't have clarity around a date," he said.

"To plan our recovery, we need a date to work to and we simply don't have that at the moment, so it is a little bit disappointing."

WA's Tourism Council said without a date for reopening, people could not book family reunions or other travel and tourism businesses could not recruit staff or plan to reopen.

"Every day WA remains without a date, we are at a disadvantage to other states for recruiting staff, attracting visitors and keeping tourism businesses going," the council's chief executive Evan Hall said.

Mr McGowan acknowledged the delayed reopening would be frustrating for people who hoped to reunite with family or friends interstate or overseas at Christmas.

But he pointed to Heath Department modelling, which found 200 extra people would die if WA opened up earlier at the 80 per cent vaccination rate, rather than at 90 per cent.

The WA branch of the Australian Medical Association urged the government to use the time before reopening to concentrate on vaccination rates in country areas and Aboriginal communities.

"This extra time will allow us time to do childhood vaccination in the five to 11-year-old group, that is imminent for approval," AMA WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said.

"Also to get boosters undertaken, and also to allow the proper training of new doctors starting in January."

Plan 'very ambitious': Opposition

Opposition Leader Mia Davies gave her support to that health advice and the broad outline of the plan.

But she said the problem with not setting a date was that it eliminated an incentive to get vaccinated, which she argued explained why WA had the lowest vaccination rate in the country.

"[It's] very disappointing we still haven't seen a date set," Ms Davies said.

"It would appear we still have a great deal of uncertainty when it comes to allowing business in our community to plan what that safe opening will look like. 

She described it as a "very ambitious plan" and said it would require an enormous effort by government to get an extra 250,000 West Australians fully vaccinated and reach the 90 per cent threshold.

"What the government will need to do is invest significantly in getting people over the line that have been complacent or unable to access the vaccine," Ms Davies said. 

'I think it is achievable'

But there was also praise for the government's plan.

Talkback caller to ABC Radio Perth, Marina, 23, said she hoped it would encourage many of her friends who were hesitant to finally get the jab.

"Ninety per cent, I think it's high but I think it is achievable, once we start giving incentives, like you can't go clubbing , blah, blah, blah until you're fully vaxxed," she said.

Stuart Laws, from the Chefs Collective, said he loved the 90 per cent vaccination target. 

"Having that 90 per cent just gives us a little bit of confidence that, when we do open the borders, we're not going to be in the position where we were in the beginning of 2020, when we were all running for the hills going 'where's my next paycheck coming from?'," he said.

The state's peak business group said the plan provided a higher level of certainty for businesses to plan their operations and investments. 

"Now it's game on," the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) WA said in a statement, encouraging the community and WA government to "do all it can to supercharge vaccination rates". 

"Together, we can bring the open date forward by several weeks from the current forecast of late January," the CCI said.

Perth Glory calls for exemption

Some sports were hoping to make special quarantine arrangements with the authorities before the borders drop and as their seasons prepare to kick off. 

Tony Pignata, chief executive of Perth Glory, said it would be very tough for the team if it still had to constantly quarantine.

The Glory is scheduled to play its first home game on November 20 against Adelaide and then play away games until Christmas Eve.

"That's something we'll be discussing with WA Police in the next week, see what can be done, if teams can fly in and stay for basically one night and fly straight out, in a bubble." Mr Pignata said.

"We don't want to come back and have to quarantine for 14 days because that will really impact our season, we don't want anything like that."

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Western australia to reopen border early next year, as covid-19 roadmap released.

WA's COVID roadmap to be released on Friday, on the eve of NSW border rules easing

Man shocked at process to get through WA hard border as he arrives in Perth to see sick mother

WA to require travellers from states with COVID transmission to be fully vaccinated

• State and Territory Government

• Press Releases
• Press Enquiries
• Travel Hub / Blog
• Brand Resources
• Newsletter Sign Up
• Global Summit
• Hosting a Summit
• Upcoming Events
• Previous Events
• Event Photography
• Event Enquiries

Our Members

• Our Associates Community
• Membership Benefits
• Enquire About Membership
• Sponsors & Partners
• Insights & Publications
• WTTC Research Hub
• Economic Impact
• Knowledge Partners
• Data Enquiries
• Hotel Sustainability Basics
• Community Conscious Travel
• SafeTravels Stamp Application
• SafeTravels: Global Protocols & Stamp
• Security & Travel Facilitation
• Sustainable Growth
• Women Empowerment
• Destination Spotlight - SLO CAL
• Vision For Nature Positive Travel and Tourism

Governments

• Consumer Travel Blog
• ONEin330Million Campaign
• Reunite Campaign

Events and Webinars

Economic Impact Reports

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the Travel & Tourism sector globally

For over 30 years, WTTC has conducted research on the economic impact of Travel & Tourism in 185 countries and issues such as overcrowding, taxation, policy-making, and many others to raise awareness of the importance of the Travel & Tourism sector as one of the world’s largest economic sectors. As a non-profit membership-based organisation, our members and partners are the core of our organisation and include over 200 CEOs, Chairpersons, and Presidents of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies from all geographies and industries.  

Latest News

Below is some of the latest news from WTTC. Visit our press-release page for more.

Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism Breaks All Records

Travel & Tourism Sector Reached Record-Breaking New Heights Last Year

Destacada participación de WTTC en la 12ª reunión ministerial de turismo de APEC

Research & insights.

WTTC regularly releases new reports on Travel & Tourism and you can find some of our latest reports below. Visit the WTTC Research Hub to find all our reports and factsheets.

Nature Positive in Action

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations

Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) : Overview of AI Risks, Safety & Governance

Navigating the Sustainability Journey: The Impact of Mandatory Reporting on Travel & Tourism

Australian man goes on trial in Indonesia for alleged drug possession on Bali

The Associated Press

June 13, 2024, 4:19 AM

• Share This:
• share on facebook
• share on threads
• share on linkedin
• share on email

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on Thursday began the trial of an Australian man who faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of possessing methamphetamine under the country’s tough drug laws.

Troy Andrew Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was arrested on April 30 after police raided his hotel near Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot, and seized 3.15 grams (0.1 ounce) of crystal methamphetamine from his room, authorities said.

The arrest followed a tip that Smith had received a suspicious package containing toothpaste by mail from Australia.

Prosecutors at the District Court in Denpasar, Bali’s provincial capital, said he violated anti-narcotics laws that carry a penalty of up to 12 years in prison and a fine of 8 billion rupiah ($491,000).

Authorities reduced the initial charge of drug trafficking, which carries a possible death penalty, to the less serious charge of drug use after a police drug assessment team determined he was a drug user.

The 49-year-old accountant confessed to using drugs since 2020 to stop drinking alcohol, and denied being a dealer, lead prosecutor Isa Ulinnuha said.

“He was not involved in illicit narcotics trafficking, but was a narcotics abuser in the moderate category,” Ulinnuha told the court. “Therefore, we also recommend that he undergo a psychological evaluation and inpatient medical rehabilitation for at least six months in a government rehabilitation facility.”

After the charges against Smith were read, the panel of three judges adjourned the trial until June 20.

Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers can be executed by a firing squad. More than 150 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes, and about a third of them are foreigners.

Eighteen people convicted of drug-related offenses have been executed under current President Joko Widodo, who took office in 2014.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Related News

South Africa political parties cobble together unity government as deadline to elect president looms

The Latest: Italy hosts the Group of Seven summit with global conflicts on the agenda

Milei’s radical overhaul advances in Argentina’s Senate as protesters clash with police

Recommended.

DC Council unanimously approves 2025 budget, restoring funding for downtown revitalization and more

What's next for Baltimore's Key Bridge?

'1,000 wounds': Sheets of paper with racial slur printed from Montgomery Co. school printer

Related categories:.