Esperance tourism hits new highs, with record numbers of people visiting coastal town in year to October

A record number of visitors have come to Esperance in the first six days of the year, after more than 200,000 tourists visited the WA south-eastern coastal town in the year to October. Esperance is celebrating a rise in tourism alongside the whole State, which had one million overseas visitors in the year to October. Shire of Esperance deputy president Jennifer Obourne on Monday said visitor spending made up 15 per cent of the Esperance economy, and the average length of stay in the town had increased to six nights, while the Esperance Overflow Campground saw a 6 per cent visitor increase in December 2025. Ms Obourne on Monday said the Shire of Esperance had shared in the State’s outstanding tourism season. “Our region is experiencing strong visitor numbers as travellers increasingly seek out premium regional experiences,” she said. “This growth reflects the rising demand for natural beauty, adventure and authentic community‑based tourism.” Ms Obourne thanked the Esperance tourism and hospitality operators in the town. “Your hard work, professionalism, friendliness and resilience have helped create unforgettable experiences for record numbers of visitors,” she said. “Our community is proud and deeply appreciative of everything you do.” Ms Obourne also shared the messages of the Esperance Promise that encourages all visitors to respect the local environment and community. For the whole State, figures show 1.02 million overseas arrivals in the year to October, led by visitors from the UK, breaking the pre-pandemic record of 996,000 arrivals. The UK was followed by Singapore, New Zealand, China and Malaysia as the most frequent homeland of tourists, ranging from between 140,000 and 63,000 each. “WA is now Australia’s best State for international tourism recovery, recording the nation’s biggest year-on-year percentage increase in overseas visitor numbers and fully recovering from COVID-19 a full two years ahead of the Tourism Research Australia’s forecast for Australia as a whole,” Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said.