When 24-year-old Nyah Domenech heads off on her family’s annual Easter getaway, fuel costs will be at the front of her mind.
They have been visiting Yallingup, about three hours’ drive south of Perth, for decades.
She said the tradition was too important to skip.
However, it will come at a price.
Nyah Domenech and her partner will do what they can to save costs on fuel this Easter. (Supplied)
“I would normally drive down myself … but this year I’ll jump into someone else’s car just to save the dollars,” Ms Domenech said.
“But I know it will be expensive down south, so it’s a little bit daunting.
“I got fuel the other day, and watching the dollars go up felt like it was in slow motion. It’s so frustrating.”
With rising fuel costs due to the war in the Middle East, travellers and tourism operators have shared their uncertainty for the future.
Dean Cooke said his trip from Victoria to WA cost more than $3,000 in fuel. (ABC South West WA: Anthony Pancia)
Dean Cook, who recently drove across the Nullarbor from Victoria, said the trip cost him more than $3,000, with fuel averaging $2.60 a litre.
“I was worried, so I carried extra jerry cans just to be safe and filled up where there were no restrictions,” Mr Cook said.
“The big girl is a bit heavy on the juice … but I had to bite the bullet because there’s not much you can really do, it doesn’t run on hopes and dreams.”
Tourism operators feel the pressure
In the South West, some accommodation providers have already felt the impact.
Carly Beissel says her caravan park has had about 20 cancellations due to fuel fears. (ABC South West WA: Anthony Pancia)
At Fonty’s Caravan Park in Manjimup, owner Carly Beissel said concerns about fuel costs had led to 20 to 30 cancellations ahead of the Easter peak.
“A few people from the eastern states worried about crossing the Nullarbor … and people from Perth worrying about coming down and getting stuck because they can’t fill up in Manjimup,” Ms Beissel said.
“It’s lucky we’re heading into our off-season with the timing of it all.”
Tour operators are also bracing for what is ahead.
Paul Cross (left) says the rising cost of fuel is a major concern for his business. (Supplied)
Paul Cross, owner of Naturalist Charters Whale Watching, said while his business was yet to be seriously impacted, he was “very, very concerned” for the future.
“We’ve had a couple of phone calls, with people coming across the Nullarbor postponing their tour with us,” Mr Cooke said.
“In the next few months, South-East Asia is by far the biggest client in the whole South West … without them, we could have a very big downturn.
“I think we’re going to have to come up with a rationale about how we’re going to mitigate some of these issues going forward, and for a lot of operators, it just might become too expensive to operate.”
Future uncertainty
Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association chief executive Sharna Kearney said Easter remained one of the busiest periods for the region.
Although confident the Easter rush would not be impacted due to fuel concerns, she said the situation was one of “watch and see”.
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“We’re not anticipating an impact during the Easter period, but it really depends on what happens over the next few weeks,” Ms Kearney said.
“But travel is a discretionary spend, so any time that spend is reduced, then we are likely to see an impact.”
Fuel prices have risen due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. (ABC News)
A state government spokesperson said the government was doing “everything it could” to address fuel security concerns going into Easter and the April school holidays.
“We have been engaging with industry and fuel suppliers on how we can work together to ensure that regional communities and travel routes remain well supplied for the holiday period,” the spokesperson said.
“We encourage Western Australians and visitors to take advantage of our extraordinary backyard and choose a WA holiday to support local businesses and local jobs that rely on tourism.”
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