.tmb-hero_l.webp?Culture=en&sfvrsn=2ea44f73_1)
Visitor Experience
Enabling a better visitor experience
Wadjemup / Rottnest Island has a distinct appeal. Its unique environment, animal life, and crystal-clear waters make it an iconic tourism destination both locally and internationally.
A key focus of the Rottnest Island Management Plan (RIMP) 2023-28 is to attract a broader range of visitors. Diversifying our visitor base across new markets helps balance demand between the slower seasons and peak seasons, ensuring sustainable growth in visitation, boosting revenue, and improving engagement across the entire island.
To do this, we need to enhance the visitor experience. We’re planning a range of initiatives, featuring new accommodation, hospitality, and entertainment options, to stimulate and boost visitation year-round and create a more resilient island visitor economy.
.jpg?sfvrsn=c290f41d_1)
Nine key initiatives to improve visitor experience
Maintaining and enhancing the visitor experience is a critical part of managing the island. The funds we use to do this are generated by ongoing work providing accommodation services through Stay Rottnest, bike and recreational hire options via Pedal & Flipper Hire, and retail offerings within the island’s Visitor Centre. So by upgrading these facilities, we are able to build a stronger experience from the ground up.
These are the key initiatives we're driving as part of the RIMP to help improve the experience on the island - for everyone. To upgrade amenities and facilities across the island and enable a better and more accessible visitor experience.
Key initiatives
Our vision is for Wadjemup to be a destination of national and international significance, known for its recreational, environmental, and cultural heritage. So, with this in mind, a key focus of the RIMP 2023-28 is to implement efficient and effective integrated marketing strategies to target new state, national, and international visitor segments.
These new strategies will take current global tourism trends into account and focus on targeting new global markets that travel during the shoulder periods and slower seasons. We aim to broaden our local efforts too and put plans in place to increase access for the wider WA community. We also aim to increase engagement and connection through digital platforms, foster the number of events and activities planned, and ultimately use these new experiences to encourage visitors to explore more areas of the island.
Key outcomes
- Sustainable visitation growth
- Create a diversified and appropriate visitor base
Improving the visitor experience is a fundamental goal of all RIMP 2023–28 strategic focus areas. Our aim is to implement improvements throughout the entire visitor journey, from the initial planning and booking stages to the arrival and interaction with the island and its businesses. By fostering ease and satisfaction at these key moments, we aim to ensure an overall positive and enjoyable holiday experience.
To achieve this, we’re continuing to facilitate new tourism product offerings, and improve the facilities, amenities and customer service on the island. We’ve already started with the first stages of the Island Gateway Project upgrading the island’s main entry point.
Key outcomes
- Improve the visitor experience
- Improve visitor amenity
- Improve the value perception of the island experiences and service
To enhance the appeal of the island and cater for demand, our goal is to continue to diversify the island’s accommodation offerings. A focus will be on the sustainable growth of accommodation options, funded by both private and public investment, with consideration given to other key initiatives of the RIMP.
Recently completed is The Lodge Wadjemup redevelopment. We’re also exploring expansion of accommodation precincts, both for visitors and island staff.
Key outcomes
- Complete The Lodge Wadjemup redevelopment
- Private sector investment in accommodation and recreation facilities for the Golf Course precinct / Mt. Herschel, in accordance with the Rottnest Island Land Use Plan, to improve land utilisation
- Progress for accommodation and ancillary development which may be in the South Thomson Bay, North Thomson Bay, and Bathurst precincts
- Increase commercial lease premises let to quality tourism businesses
- Facilitate new staff housing to support new visitor accommodation operations
RIA operates most of the island’s accommodation through Stay Rottnest, which is our principal source of revenue, from budget cabins and low-cost campsites to mid-range villas and units across the island.
To ensure these facilities remain in good condition, one of our key initiatives is to adopt a phased capital funding approach to support a staged refurbishment of all our accommodation. The works proposed will renew and refresh the short-term rental offerings, creating a new and improved range of accommodation that you’d expect of a world-class holiday destination.
Key outcomes
- Improve aesthetics and function of accommodation options
- Increase guest satisfaction, comfort, and safety
- Maintain and improve key revenue source and its financial sustainability
Part of improving Stay Rottnest involves upgrading our affordable accommodation options in central settlement areas. Aspirational options for additional accommodation developments include infill at Bathurst, North Thomson Bay, and South Thomson Bay. We also aim to improve the camping and cabin-style offerings currently available and identify future sites for affordable accommodation in the designated mixed land use areas within the settlement.
Key outcomes
- Increase affordable accommodation for overnight visitors
- Improve campground facilities
The historic Kingstown Barracks hostel and dormitories are important heritage assets, and play a key role in making the island accessible to visiting groups, schools, and guests seeking entry-level accommodation.
In 2022, we commissioned architects to develop a design vision for the Barracks. It’s a vision that embraces the island’s unique military heritage, while also providing a contemporary feel, with high quality landscaping to improve the amenity and presentation of the area.
Key outcomes
- Improve facilities for school groups
- Restore and celebrate the unique heritage of Kingstown Barracks
New and innovative commercial operations are critical to enhancing the visitor experience by providing a diverse range of fun and engaging leisure activities. These operators not only attract visitors but also create job opportunities and serve as valuable education platforms about the island’s natural assets and cultural heritage.
Our goal is to attract new progressive businesses, including recreational and Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences. Each year, RIA releases an Expressions of Interest (EOI) that calls for new recreational and leisure businesses to commence on the island. Under the current RIMP, we plan to release a new round of EOIs to further boost the island’s offerings and enhance its appeal.
Having these high-quality businesses on the island contributes significantly to its success as a tourist destination, so we aim to engage companies that can demonstrate a positive contribution to improving the visitor experience, a sustainable business model, compatibility with RIA’s management objectives, and site suitability.
Key outcomes
- Secure experienced, sustainable, and viable commercial operators to provide fun and engaging new recreational activities and amenities
- Enhance the visitor experience
Pedal & Flipper Hire is our bicycle and recreational equipment hire business on Rottnest Island. It’s open year-round, offering over 2000 items for hire, from bikes and trailers to snorkelling equipment and mobility assist devices. Increasing visitor demand means we need to focus on upgrading the Pedal & Flipper Hire retail space. To support this, we plan to introduce a new inventory management system and enhance online booking, while developing new products to improve the visitor experience.
Key outcomes
- Flexible and future-focused hire facility to meet growing and changing demand for bikes and other e-rideables
RIA is committed to ensuring equitable access to Wadjemup for all visitors. Facilities in the settlement offer Changing Places, accessible toilets and showers, as well as parenting amenities.
As new infrastructure upgrades are planned, accessibility will remain a key consideration in their design and delivery.
Our goal is to ensure that everyone in the community can access, enjoy, and participate in the unique experiences that Rottnest Island has to offer.
Key outcomes
- Enhance accessibility across Rottnest Island’s services, facilities, and recreational offerings
Strategic alignment
The key visitor services and public programs we provide on Wadjemup work towards our KPI of improving visitor satisfaction. This in turn contributes to our mission of increasing the number and diversity of visitors to the island, by providing products, services, and experiences that reflect, sustain, and preserve its unique location, environment, and cultural heritage.
Related projects and developments
Read more about the projects and developments enhancing the island.
.tmb-mediapanel.webp?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b0ecbf85_1)
.tmb-mediapanel.webp?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b9fb97db_1)
.tmb-mediapanel.webp?Culture=en&sfvrsn=74bad0d0_1)