The WA Government has released the Collie Tourism Prospectus, calling on business operators to become a part of Collie’s tourism evolution.
Tourism has been a very successful part of the efforts to transition the region away from a coal-based economy to a more diverse and sustainable future.  Since the transition work has begun, visitor numbers in Collie have increased by over 73%.
The iconic Wellington Dam mural continues to attract local and international visitors, and the final stage of the $10 million Adventure Mountain bike trails in the Wellington Forest is to be open in Summer 2023-24, it is expected these numbers will continue to rise as Collie’s reputation as a premier adventure destination in WA’s South West grows. The success of these attractions means that Collie is now facing high demand for new accommodation, and food and beverage offerings. Some of the future tourism-friendly offerings may include:
» Accommodation: upmarket couples and family accommodation
» Boutique brewery
» Accommodation support industries
» Café/restaurant style eateries
» Mountain biker friendly offerings
» Aboriginal cultural offerings
» Eco/nature tourism offerings
» Heritage, arts and culture offerings

View the prospectus here

WAITOC, in partnership with Breakaway Tourism has developed the Aboriginal Tourism Academy (ATA).
The ATA is a customised program for tourism business development and professional development for staff. It aims to meet the needs of new and existing Aboriginal tourism operators across Western Australia, including training/skilling, strategic marketing assistance, product/service development, and mentoring.
This follows from the success of previous programs where WAITOC partnered with The City of Perth.
WAITOC encourages all interested individuals, businesses and organisations to work together to help grow Western Australia's unique Aboriginal cultural tourism industry. Through committed partnerships, all stakeholders will benefit and communities in our state will begin to prosper.
Learn more about partnering with WAITOC by downloading the Local Government Prospectus: WAITOC Partnership Packages 2020

There is significant government investment in trails tourism currently underway across the State.
 
The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) is working closely with Parks and Wildlife and Trails WA to deliver a Trail Town accreditation program in targeted communities interested in trails tourism.
The towns of Collie and Dwellingup are well on their way to becoming recognised Trail Towns and are already “must do” locations, particularly for mountain bike and hiking enthusiasts.

In addition, the Great Southern Centre for Outdoor Recreation Excellence Regional Trails Master Plan was released on 18 September.
The Master Plan focuses on a range of trail experiences suited to different user groups, including user needs for trail-related products and services, across the Great Southern.
It focuses on active leisure trails which involve an outdoor recreation element. This includes terrestrial trails (walking/hiking, trail running, cycling, mountain biking, and adventure bike riding) as well as aquatic trails (paddling a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, and snorkeling/diving). It includes a drive trail which link together a series of ‘active nodes’, as well as heritage and cultural trails.
For a comprehensive list of the State’s trails network, visit Trails WA
 
The department will be hosting a Trails Forum in Dwellingup on Friday 20 November 2020.
This will provide an opportunity for the trails sector to network and learn more about trail developments across the State including outcomes from the WA Hiking Strategy, Trail Towns progress and best practices in trail planning.