Premier opens new $7 million Rockingham hotel

17/2/00
The popularity of Rockingham as a destination for tourists and visitors has seen the first four-star hotel open in the city today.
Officially opening the new $7 million Beachside Apartment Hotel this afternoon, Premier Richard Court said Rockingham, like many other places in Western Australia, was benefiting from an influx of tourists to the State.
He said each year half a million people visited Rockingham for day-trips and more than 28,000 people chose to stay overnight.
Visitors to the area injected more than $7 million into the local economy.
"Like many other regions in WA, Rockingham is attractive to tourists for its beaches, Cockburn Sound and many local nature-based attractions," he said.
"Importantly, tourism industry operators are working hard to meet the needs of visitors to the State, and the development of the Beachside Apartment Hotel is an example of this.
"I congratulate the developers of this hotel, particularly Anne and John Green, as they've seen the great potential for tourism in and around Rockingham, identified a new market and have worked to fulfil it."
Mr Court said the Government's strong marketing campaigns targeting core markets around the world had seen a record number of overseas tourists visit the State, injecting more than $850 million into our economy last financial year.
"We have worked very consciously to grow our tourism industry believing that what we have in our State rivals some of the best scenery anywhere in the world," he said.
"The tourism industry employs one in every 12 Western Australians, hosts some 3,500 businesses and is worth $2.1 billion - it is a success story and one of the reasons why developments, such as new hotels, are being built around the State."

Media contact: Justine Whittome 9222 9475