Business events making waves in Western Australia

Western Australia’s deputy premier and minister for tourism, the Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA, has recognised the success of business events in the state, following Business Events Perth announcing it has secured A$339.61m (US$228.8m) in direct delegate expenditure over the 2023-24 financial year. Saffioti stated: “These are fantastic results for 2023-24 and further highlight the value these large-scale events and conferences bring to our tourism industry and wider economy.” The revenue generated reflects 315 national and international events in Western Australia (WA), generating 277,534 hotel room nights – 18% higher than pre-Covid levels. In accordance with the Western Australia Visitor Economy Strategy 2033 (WAVES) developed by Tourism Western Australia, the region aims to build WA’s status as a destination for business tourism in the South-East Asian region. Saffioti added: “Business events form an important part of our government’s strategy to continue growing our tourism industry and further diversifying our State’s economy, while also spotlighting our beautiful State as an emerging global leader.” Bradley Woods, Business Events Perth chair, noted the benefits this success would bring to other sectors in Western Australia: “The influx of delegates stimulates spending in local businesses, supporting jobs and enhancing the overall vitality of the city.” Business Events Perth attributes their success to business development and marketing initiatives, aimed at long-term growth for Western Australia in the highly competitive national and international business events market.