A small boat rocks gently on the turquoise waters off Ningaloo Reef as the sun rises. Moments later, a massive shadow appears beneath the travelers—a 6-meter whale shark glides by, its dappled skin catching the morning light.
One by one, visitors slip into the warm Indian Ocean to swim alongside the world’s largest fish, surrounded by a UNESCO World Heritage seascape teeming with 500 species of fish, manta rays, and turtles.
This magical experience isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime fluke—it’s the new normal in Western Australia (WA). From swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo to cycling car-free on Rottnest Island, adventure tourism in WA has evolved beyond city limits to become a powerful engine of economic growth and cultural exchange.
The Economic Power of Adventure Tourism
Adventure tourism has transformed from a niche activity into a cornerstone of Western Australia’s economy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in WA contributed roughly $12 billion in gross value added and employed nearly 67,000 people statewide, according to the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre.
While the pandemic temporarily halted this growth, the rebound has been remarkable:
- By 2022, WA’s annual overnight visitor expenditure reached a record $14 billion
- By late 2024, total visitor spend hit $17.2 billion—a 28% increase over 2019 levels, as reported by Tourism WA
This boom is fueled largely by nature-based and adventure travel. In fact, most tourism to Western Australia is nature-based, and without its majestic environments, the industry “would be radically diminished,” according to Edgewalkers.
Local Business Development and Infrastructure
The growth of adventure tourism has created opportunities far beyond Perth’s city skyline. Small businesses have flourished—from family-run surf schools on the Margaret River coast to 4WD tour outfitters in the Kimberley.
Exmouth’s transformation stands as a powerful example. When a U.S. naval base closed decades ago, many feared “it could have been the end of the town.” Instead, Exmouth reinvented itself as an eco-adventure hub; tourism became “an important part of Exmouth’s economy” and has kept the town growing, according to the WA Museum.
Recognising this potential, the WA government committed $165 million in the 2023 state budget specifically for outdoor recreation facilities—upgrading boating harbors, expanding campgrounds, and extending trail networks to enhance access to national parks.
New attractions like the Kalbarri Skywalk (dramatic lookout platforms over a red-rock gorge) have put little-known areas on the tourist map, spreading visitor dollars over a wider area.
Job Creation in the Regions
This adventure travel surge is anchoring employment in rural and Indigenous communities that historically had limited job prospects. Approximately 18,500 full-time-equivalent jobs in WA are supported directly and indirectly by nature-based outdoor activity spending, according to SkillsIQ.
Many of these positions are in regions far from Perth—tour guides, park rangers, hostel operators, and helicopter pilots ferrying sightseers to remote waterfalls.
In the Kimberley region alone, over 500 tourism businesses operate within national parks—supporting small town economies across thousands of kilometers. Tourism’s “economic benefits…spill over” into everyday life: bolstering local shops, keeping young families employed locally, and justifying better roads and internet services in places once off the grid.
Cultural Renaissance: Indigenous and Community-Led Tourism
Adventure tourism in WA isn’t just an economic force—it’s also a cultural bridge and a tool for community development. Travelers increasingly seek authentic human connection alongside thrills, and Western Australia’s First Nations peoples are answering that call in innovative ways.
Indigenous-Led Experiences
From the Kimberley to the South West, Aboriginal guides are leading visitors on journeys that blend adventure with deep cultural immersion:
- Trekking into the rugged Bungle Bungle Range with Traditional Owners
- Learning Noongar bushcraft and Dreamtime stories on guided walks outside Perth
The WA government has made expanding First Nations tourism a priority, backing it with a recent $6 million investment to grow and market authentic Aboriginal experiences across the state, according to WA Government reports.
The “Camping with Custodians” program has been particularly successful. Under this initiative, travelers stay at campgrounds owned and operated by local Aboriginal communities, often on Indigenous lands not previously open to outsiders. Hosts share traditional cooking, music, or stories around the campfire, and guide visitors through sacred sites and natural wonders.
This model creates jobs and income on-country, fosters cross-cultural understanding, and gives Aboriginal youth reasons to remain in their communities. New sites are developing across the state, from Yallalie Downs in the Wheatbelt to Wuggubun in the East Kimberley.
Tourism WA’s Jina: Western Australian Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan 2021–2025 specifically aims to position WA as the nation’s premier destination for authentic Aboriginal tourism.
Community Tourism Projects
It’s not only Indigenous communities benefiting—broadly, WA’s adventure tourism has a strong community-driven character. Many tours and eco-accommodations are small enterprises started by local families or cooperatives:
- In Bremer Bay, residents banded together to run boat charters to see orcas in the Bremer Canyon
- In Hyden (home of Wave Rock), a community-managed foundation maintains the site, ensuring tourism dollars help fund local schools and clinics
- Along the Cape to Cape Track, volunteers and tour operators collaborate to preserve the 135 km coastal trail
These grassroots efforts mean that adventure tourism in WA often feels personal and welcoming. Socially, this has rejuvenated many country towns—young people who might have left for the city now see a future guiding kayak trips or running B&Bs.
Adventure Tourism and Sustainability: Protecting Paradise
With great opportunity comes great responsibility—Western Australia’s adventure tourism sector increasingly recognises that its “product IS the environment,” as Edgewalkers aptly puts it. The vast wilderness, marine sanctuaries, and endemic wildlife of WA are its chief drawcards, making conservation a top priority.
Conservation Efforts in Tourism
A visit to WA’s adventure hotspots today often doubles as a masterclass in environmental stewardship:
- Rottnest Island is car-free by design, encouraging visitors to explore via bicycle or on foot, reducing carbon emissions and wildlife disturbances
- In the Ningaloo Coast, tourism operators follow strict codes of conduct when interacting with marine life, keeping minimum distances from whale sharks and banning flash photography
- With 90% of Ningaloo’s economic value coming from reef tourism, the community actively supports coral monitoring programs and educates visitors on reef-safe practices
WA’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) recently established a special “nature-based tourism” division to drive such initiatives, reinforcing that tourism and conservation must work together.
In 2023-24, DBCA reported record visitation of over 24 million visits to WA’s national parks—a testament to nature’s draw, but also a call to carefully manage these numbers. Through visitor caps in sensitive areas, seasonal closures for regeneration, and reinvestment of park fees into conservation, WA is striving to keep its wild places truly wild.
Eco-Certification and Initiatives
The tourism industry has embraced sustainability through certification programs and innovative practices:
- The Margaret River region became Western Australia’s first certified ECO Destination—meaning its tourism operations meet stringent standards of environmental, cultural, and socio-economic sustainability
- Dozens of adventure tour operators now follow “Leave No Trace” policies
- Some companies offset 100% of their vehicle emissions by planting thousands of native trees annually
Such practices are increasingly expected by tourists, creating a positive feedback loop: the more visitors see these efforts, the more they appreciate WA’s environments and want to help protect them.
The ethos can be summed up by a question posed by Edgewalkers: What if nature-based tourism became an instrumental player in conservation and restoration? In WA, this vision is gradually becoming reality.
Western Australia vs. the Rest: A National Perspective
How does Western Australia’s adventure tourism scene compare to other Australian states? In many ways, WA stands apart—both for its challenges and triumphs.
Historically, states like Queensland and New South Wales have attracted larger tourist volumes with more accessible attractions:
- Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef and rainforests contributed over $15 billion directly to its economy
- NSW and Victoria leveraged big cities as gateways to adventure
- Even Tasmania built a global reputation for wilderness treks and eco-tourism
Yet, Western Australia has emerged as a formidable contender by offering something the crowded east coast cannot: true wide-open space and raw, untamed adventure. While visitors elsewhere might jostle with crowds at popular spots, in WA you can have an entire gorge or beach to yourself.
The numbers illustrate both the gap and the growth:
- WA attracts fewer international tourists than NSW or Queensland
- However, those who do come tend to stay longer and spend more on experiential travel by visiting remote areas and renting either a 4WD camper or a campervan
- Nature-based tourism is disproportionately significant to WA’s economy and identity
In terms of infrastructure, WA has made rapid strides. Once seen as rugged and underdeveloped, the state has built a network of eco-retreats, improved roads to national parks, and developed guided tour offerings that match or exceed those “over east.”
Where WA still lags is in accessibility; distances between attractions are great, and public transport is limited. But many travelers see that remoteness as a positive—it keeps the experience authentic and exclusive.
Future Horizons: Opportunities and Challenges
Standing at the threshold of a new decade, Western Australia’s adventure tourism sector faces exciting opportunities and formidable challenges.
Towards “Walking on a Dream”
Tourism WA’s ambitious WAVES 2033 strategy encapsulates the opportunity, envisioning Western Australia “to be recognised as a world-class destination that immerses people in its unique cultures, communities and environment.” It sets an annual visitor spend target of $25 billion by 2033.
Global travel trends favor WA. Post-pandemic travelers seek nature, open spaces, and meaningful engagement—precisely what WA offers. The rise of remote work could see more visitors spending extended periods in WA’s regions.
There’s room to develop new adventure frontiers:
- Eco-tourism in the Southern Ocean
- Cultural trails linking multiple Aboriginal tourism experiences
- Space-themed tourism leveraging WA’s clear night skies
The state’s “Walking On A Dream” campaign, which projected WA’s landscapes in 3D on New York’s Times Square, signals that this once-remote corner is ready to wow global audiences.
Eco-Leadership and Innovation
WA has the opportunity to position itself as a global leader in sustainable adventure tourism:
- More regions can pursue ECO certification
- The concept of “carbon-neutral holidays” could be pioneered here
- Indigenous knowledge can be more deeply integrated into environmental management
- Marine conservation tourism could allow visitors to participate in coral farming and turtle rehabilitation
The creation of a dedicated nature-based tourism division indicates an institutional commitment to keeping sustainability at the core of tourism growth.
Challenges: Access, Cost, and Preservation
Several challenges remain:
- Accessibility and cost: Long-haul flights to WA are pricey, and reaching far-flung attractions can be costly
- Business expenses: The cost of operating in remote WA is high—labor, fuel, insurance—which could drive up tour prices
- Preserving culture and environment: Managing growth to protect the very attractions drawing tourists
- Climate change: WA’s adventure attractions are vulnerable to extreme weather and long-term climate shifts
WA’s involvement in climate resilience strategies for tourism at places like Ningaloo represents a positive step in facing these challenges head-on.
Navigating the Road Ahead
The story of adventure tourism in Western Australia continues to unfold. From a traveler’s encounter with a whale shark to remote communities finding prosperity through cultural tourism, these human stories weave into a larger narrative of a state leveraging its natural and cultural wealth sustainably.
WA has transformed from a well-kept secret into a bucket-list destination by thinking beyond city limits. The economic gains are evident in jobs and revenue; the social benefits visible in empowered communities and delighted visitors.
If Western Australia stays focused on immersive experiences, community benefit, and conservation, it can pioneer a model of adventure travel that becomes a global gold standard—going not just beyond city limits, but beyond conventional tourism itself.