Attracting additional luxury hotel investment for Western Australia’s regions has been confirmed as a top priority for Tourism WA by Managing Director Anneke Brown who brings valuable hotel industry expertise to the role which she took up in December last year.
Having worked with international luxury brands such as Aman and COMO, Brown is well-positioned to tackle the hospitality challenges that could hinder the state from achieving its full potential. For, while Perth has established itself as a luxury destination with properties such as the Ritz-Carlton Perth and Crown Towers, the state’s regions are also seeing increasing demand, but don’t have enough high-end accommodation to cater to it.
“There are significant infrastructure accommodation developments that are required in the regions, so that people can explore the beautiful natural landscapes and the assets that we have,” Brown told LATTE at the Virtuoso ANZ Forum 2025 which took place in Perth earlier this month.
She emphasised the importance of expanding hotel offerings in regions like the Margaret River and the Coral Coast in order to better cater to both luxury and experiential travellers. “Making sure that the products and experiences are appropriate for those destinations is critical,” she stressed.
Big strides are already being made however, with two boutique hotels in the making for the Margaret River region, and with a major investment in a luxury wilderness retreat by Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group secured earlier this year for the Purnululu National Park, home to the Bungle Bungles.
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More developments in regional areas will soon follow, she promised, with Tourism WA working hard on securing similar investments from other overseas players.
But Brown admitted that, to fully realize the potential of these hotel developments, infrastructure improvements are paramount. As Western Australia’s hotel offerings expand, it is crucial that the region’s transport and connectivity systems are able to support the influx of visitors.
“Accessibility has changed over the last few years, particularly regionally,” she said. “Being able to identify destinations and then have the infrastructure and product that services those destinations will only help that accessibility piece.”
This includes new direct flight routes, making Western Australia more accessible for both domestic and international travelers. Flights into the region from Southeast Asia have been a game-changer, helping to shift perceptions about the state’s accessibility. “We’re closer to Southeast Asia than the east coast of Australia,” Brown said.
The tourism body’s ongoing work in securing international flight routes is integral to the success of the hotel industry, with Indian connections in its sights, she confirmed.