Burswood Resort Hotel wins top tourism award

31/7/93

The Burswood Resort Hotel tonight won Western Australia's most prestigious tourism award, the 1993 Sir David Brand Award for Tourism.

Tourism Minister Doug Shave congratulated the Burswood Resort Hotel and said Burswood was one of Australia's premier tourist facilities.

The other major award for the evening, the Sir David Brand Medal, which recognises a great individual contribution to tourism, was won by Maud Edmiston, founder and managing director of Miss Maud's restaurants.

At the gala evening attended by 600 members of the tourism industry, Mr Shave said the tourism industry had come a long way in the last decade.

"It has been a period of massive investment - a period when international visitor numbers have almost trebled," he said.

"According to recent statistics, tourism now ranks only behind mineral and petroleum-based exports in importance for WA.  It has moved well ahead of industry sectors such as meat, grain and wool.

"Even though WA is performing extremely well in the tourism business, I believe we can achieve much more in the next decade."

Mr Shave said that a thorough review of the Tourism Commission had almost been completed.  The Tourism Commission Act 1983 is due to expire in December this year.

"I will shortly be presented with advice from the Commission chairman, Kevin Harrison, on amendments to the Tourism Commission Act which will set the course for the organisation for the next ten years," he said.

"I expect the amendments to make the Commission more flexible and with a greater focus on its goal of increasing the impact of tourism on the State's economy and ultimately creating more jobs."

An internal review of the Commission already has made some fundamental changes, including:

·         the closure of the Commission's interstate WA tourist centres and the forging of marketing and distribution agreements with some of Australia's largest retail travel chains;

·         re-focussing the Commission's international marketing resources on the Asian corridor to our North and the closure of the North American office;

·         re-establishment of the Commission's regional office network with more specific goals to assist in the development of a strong regional tourism industry;

·         reduction of staff in head office to gain a greater focus on marketing rather than administration; and -

·         a clearer focus for Eventscorp on events which can have a major tourism impact on the State.

All winners in the Sir David Brand Awards for Tourism presented by the Swan Brewery will automatically become finalists in the 1993 Australian Tourism Awards for Excellence, to be held at the Wrest Point Casino Hotel, Hobart, on Friday, October 15.

Media contact: Brian Coulter 222 9595 or 325 4133

A FULL LIST OF SIR DAVID BRAND AWARD WINNERS IS ATTACHED:

1993 Sir David Brand Awards for Tourism

Presented by the Swan Brewery

Winners