Published: 12 November 2024
Tourism WA is progressing plans for a world-class tourism and hospitality management school, following a feasibility study that highlights strong industry support and a clear need for skilled professionals to fuel economic growth across the state.
It comes as WA's tourism sector hit record highs—reaching $18.3 billion in visitor spend for the year ending June 2024—meaning the need for advanced training and skilled professionals has become increasingly critical.
To address this, Tourism WA is investigating the need for a world-class tourism and hospitality management school in Perth, the first of its kind in Western Australia.
While WA offers various university and TAFE programs, the state currently lacks a dedicated institution delivering bespoke, specialised education in tourism and hospitality management, integrated with strong industry partnerships.
This gap has led many WA students to seek advanced training interstate or overseas, particularly for tertiary-level roles in management.
With ambitious goals set in our WA Visitor Economy Strategy 2033 (WAVES 2033) to increase annual visitor spending to $25 billion by 2033, upskilling our tourism and hospitality workforce is essential to support and drive growth within the sector.
This Expression of Interest (EOI) process will allow Tourism WA to gauge interest, challenges, and support levels from organisations known for excellence in tourism and hospitality education.
The feedback gathered will play a key role in shaping the next steps for government—potentially leading to a formal Request for Proposal process.
The establishment of this fit-for-purpose school could spark a new era for WA’s tourism workforce and further solidify WA’s position as a premier global tourism destination.
For more information or questions regarding this initiative, please contact Loretta De Stefani, Senior Workforce Development Manager, Tourism WA at loretta.destefani@westernaustralia.com or by phone +61 8 9262 1700.