The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF), Australia’s leading tourism and transport advocacy group, has welcomed the appointments of Mr Paul Papalia as Minister for Tourism and Ms Rita Saffioti as Minister for Transport in the new Western Australian Cabinet to be sworn in today.

Margy Osmond, Chief Executive Officer of TTF said: “The tourism sector congratulates Mr Papalia on his appointment as Minister for Tourism. He demonstrated during his time as Shadow Minister for Tourism his dedication to the tourism sector and his commitment to growing the Western Australian visitor economy. He is a great choice.

“With tourism delivering $13.4 billion to the Western Australian economy each year, Mr Papalia understands the importance of a sustainable tourism industry and the need to harness new opportunities to supercharge growth.

“Promoting tourism by boosting funding for destination and business marketing will help to grow the visitor economy and support more jobs and economic activity right across the State.

“I am also delighted that Ms Saffioti has been appointed Minister for Transport. She has been a strong advocate for increased investment in public transport over many years and will play a crucial role in delivering the government’s METRONET program.

“Public transport infrastructure is critical to the future of the Western Australian economy. With the State’s population set to almost double to 4.1 million by 2031, it is important that major road and rail infrastructure projects are prioritised and funded as soon as possible.

“TTF looks forward to working closely with both Mr Papalia and Ms Saffioti to ensure that the tourism and transport sectors in Western Australia can reach their full potential”.