Cervantes tourism shines

Dandaragan Shire president Leslee Holmes said she was thrilled to learn Cervantes was WA’s second-fastest growing tourist destination in 2017.

Her remarks came after a report in The West Australian showed the town’s visitor numbers grew by 110 per cent last year, second only to Bridgetown in WA’s South West.

Coral Bay, Carnarvon and Geraldton also saw significant visitor increases, according to a survey by hotel booking service Wotif.com.

Ms Holmes put the Cervantes result down to investment by the RAC in the RAC Holiday Park and the Thompson family for their new restaurant, the Lobster Shack.

“Over the Christmas period they were serving 500 people each day, and it peaked at 850,” she said.

According to Ms Holmes this would not have been included in the survey, which was published late last month.

She said older locals and people who had moved to Cervantes seeking a quiet life would not be forgotten. “During early 2018 we will be meeting concerned citizens to see how we can make tourism fit in and not adversely affect their lives,” she said.

Most popular summer destinations

1. Perth
2. Margaret River
3. Broome
4. Bunbury
5. Mandurah
6. Esperance
7. Busselton
8. Dunsborough
9. Albany
10. Geraldton

Top movers and shakers for 2017

1. Bridgetown, up 170%
2. Cervantes, up 110%
3. Fremantle, up 85%
4. Coral Bay, up 85%
5. Carnarvon, up 80%
6. Bunker Bay, up 65%
7. Perth, up 60%
8. Geraldton, up 55%

* Data based on wotif.com searches