00:02It's the region known as the jewel of WA's tourism industry, the Southwest drawing thousands
00:08each Easter and injecting millions into the regional economy. But this year, rising fuel
00:14costs and supply concerns are reshaping holiday plans.
00:18We won't travel a great deal around Dunsborough over the five days that we're here. It's
00:23on our mind that it is very expensive now to travel down.
00:26If we didn't have accommodation with our families, we probably would have called it off to be
00:30honest. WA's peak tourism body confident last-minute cancellations are being offset by late bookings.
00:37There's a lot of Western Australians and in fact people from the East Coast who were planning
00:42to head off overseas on a holiday. They're thinking twice and they're heading off to great
00:46destinations like Margot River and the Kimberley.
00:49The focus on tourism in the North, with Exmouth still cut off from ex-tropical cyclone Norel.
00:55We've got to get those visitors back as soon as possible because if they don't come back,
00:59the whale shark tours can't operate, the land tours can't operate, the accommodation can't
01:04operate and unfortunately we'll see a lot of seasonal staff lose their jobs.
01:09Exmouth's loss seems to be a gain for Esperance.
01:12A lot of those travellers are having to amend their plans and that means that they're now headed south,
01:17so that may explain why some of these cancellations are being filled so quick.
01:22With bookings expected to slow after Easter, the message is clear. Please do not cancel.
01:28It's definitely tailing off towards the end of April and Anzac Day long weekend
01:32and May and June are looking very slow indeed. Don't cancel your trip. If you have any doubt
01:38about fuel supply or road conditions, please contact your visitor centre or your accommodation provider.
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