The latest visitor statistics for the region have just been released via Tourism Research Australia and Tourism Western Australia. Read on to see how the region is tracking as of Year Ending March 2017.
| YE Mar-15 | YE Mar-16 | YE Mar-17 | Growth % | |
| International Overnight Visitors | 90,400 | 123,800 | 132,700 | 7.2 |
| Interstate Overnight Visitors | 134,000 | 135,000 | 136,000 | 0.7 |
| Intrastate Overnight Visitors | 1,153,000 | 1,367,000 | 1,222,000 | -10.6 |
| Total Overnight Visitors | 1,377,400 | 1,625,800 | 1,490,700 | -8.3 |
| Intrastate Daytrip Visitors^ | 1,027,000 | 948,000 | 1,123,000 | 18.5 |
- International visitation: Up to December 2016, international visitation was showing strong growth at +19.1% YOY. However the YE March statistics show that this growth has slowed down to +7.2% – a total of 132,700 visitors.
- Interstate visitation: Interstate visitation is flat lining at +0.7% growth to YE March 2017 – a total of 136,000 visitors.
- Intrastate visitation: Up to December 2016, intrastate overnight visitors were still showing moderate growth, at +7.2%. However the statistics released this week for YE March 2017 shows a different story, with overnight intrastate visitation declining by -10.6%. A contributing factor is Easter falling in March last year, and April this year – however, it is unlikely to account for the full decline, and we won’t be able to get a true indication of the impact of Easter until we see the YE June 17 stats which aren’t released until September. The statistics mirror feedback from operators who reported a strong summer period, but a slow start to 2017. The intrastate market remains one of the region’s most crucial source markets, accounting for 82% of total visitation.
The statistics for Year Ending June 2017 will be released in September 2017.