West Australian Premier Mark McGowan says his election promise to boost tourism marketing will make the sector stronger, but the industry body disagrees, after the latest data showed a drop in interstate visitors.
Figures released by Tourism WA on Wednesday showed interstate visitors declined by 8.2 per cent, or about 121,000 people, to less than 1.4 million in the year to March.
Despite a drop in visitors, their spending increased by 14.3 per cent to more than $1.5 million.
Business trips to the state dropped by 17.4 per cent for the same period, while business trips within WA increased slightly by 2.2 per cent.
Tourism WA will soon come under the new Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation - which the industry opposes - while $425 million has been put towards tourism marketing and events over the next five years.
"It (the department) will have a stronger focus on economic development across the board," Mr McGowan told reporters on Wednesday.
"This is something we've inherited. We're taking tough action to arrest it and we're putting more support into marketing."
However, Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall is urging the state government to reconsider the changes, saying they will cause uncertainty in the industry and make Tourism WA less effective.
"The industry is seeking that the restructure be put on hold and Tourism WA is refocused on undertaking an immediate tactical marketing campaign to address the decline in visitation," he said.
International visitors increased by 9.1 per cent to about 950,000 people, with residents from the UK, China and Singapore topping the list.
Overseas visitors spent $2.5 million in the state, a 7.9 per cent increase from the year before.
