Stop, stay, explore: inside Perth’s growth as a stopover hub

Perth is evolving at a dramatic pace. The last decade alone has seen the once-quiet capital sprout a forest of new highrises, hotels, and cultural venues – Elizabeth Quay, Optus Stadium and the upgraded WA Museum Boola Bardip, to name a few.

As a former Perth local, I’m continually surprised by the city with each return visit, with so many new things to see and discover, both in the city and its surrounding areas.

However, it’s not just the experiences that have been upgraded in recent years – it’s been a time of significant infrastructural change too, with one recent development, in particular, having a surprisingly large impact on tourism: the Perth Airport rail line.

That may sound like a strange aspect to single out, yet its benefit to the city cannot be denied. 

Airport Central station is positioned alongside Terminals 1 and 2.

Opened in 2022, the rail link accessible from terminals 1 to 4 now ferries travellers from the airport to the CBD in under 20 minutes. And from there, the likes of Cottesloe Beach, Fremantle and even as far south as Mandurah are in easy reach.

As a traveller, that means no messing around with hire cars or no waiting in line for taxis. (Trains run every 12 minutes during peak hours, every 15 minutes through the day, and every half an hour at night.)

Besides being a boon for locals, it’s made Perth a lot more accessible for newcomers. And – with non-stop flights from London, Jo’burg and the Mauritian capital of Port Louis, plus more on the way – a fantastic stopover destination, be it for a day, two or longer.

Elizabeth Quay is home to hotels, art activations, restaurants and more.
Tourism Western Australia

Given international capacity into Perth is now above pre-pandemic levels, according to Flight Centre analysis, the city’s well placed to capitalise on the growing stopover market, In fact, Tourism Western Australia is already dubbing it the ‘western gateway to Australia’.

So what’s actually changed and why is Perth now a prime stopover? We recently caught up with Carolyn Turnbull, Managing Director for Tourism WA, to find out more.

Besides the rail line, which had been on the cards for over a decade, the biggest change is the sheer variety of airlines now jetting into the city, including many arriving for the first time, such as Batik Air Malaysia and Vietjet.

Vietnam Airlines is now flying direct between Perth and Ho Chi Minh City.

These are of course on top of long-held connections to Asia, the Middle East and beyond, on the likes of Singapore Airlines (which recently opened a new SilverKris lounge at T1), Qatar Airways and Emirates. Thai Airways recently returned too.

“We’ve been on the move since Covid, with a really robust strategy in order to build those international and domestic aviation routes to ensure that we are providing the option for an exciting stopover,” explains Turnbull.

Since the restart of global travel, some 19 flights have been added to the Perth departures board, including those to Bangkok, Rome and Johannesburg, with many supported by the WA Government’s $75 million Aviation Recovery Fund.

Cottesloe is among Perth's most popular beaches.
Tourism Western Australia

Other destinations are in the works too, with Turnbull recently returning from India – one of WA’s strongest tourism markets – where discussions were had with local airline partners on potential non-stop connections from Delhi and Mumbai.

Conversations are ongoing with Qantas about new opportunities as well, notes Turnbull, while also revealing her hope of seeing China Southern and China Eastern in the city on a permanent basis.

“We have really been on the move with a huge amount of deliverables since coming out of Covid, which gave us a great time to reflect and reset our strategy.”

“We're so proud to be the only city within Australia that has direct connectivity to London, and that’s continued so strongly since Covid and the onboarding of the direct seasonal service to Rome. But now the exciting new service to Paris ahead of the Olympics on the 12th of July, which will just be another huge win for WA.”

COMO The Treasury has been hailed the best hotel in Australia.

As for Perth itself, Turnbull says it’s the laid back lifestyle and experience mix, many of them within just a 30 minute drive, which really set it apart from rival cities. This makes it especially convenient for travellers with limited time.

“My message is always ‘live like a local’. I think the paired back beauty of Perth is really just to relax, enjoy and get amongst the local vibrancy.”

“We’ve got world-class accommodation with the likes of COMO, The Treasury, Ritz-Carlton, Crown Towers, and more coming online, combined with being on the fringe of an amazing wine region: the Swan Valley, only 20 minutes from the CBD.”

Crown Towers Perth is among the top five star hotels in town.

Turnbull explains there’s always something on, whether it’s from an arts perspective or sporting culture, adding an Eagles or Dockers match at Optus Stadium is a must when possible.

Free 90-minute volunteer-led tours of the city are also available from the Perth City Visitor Kiosk, at the intersection of Murray Street Mall and Forrest Chase in the city, while Central Area Transit (CAT) buses also operate free in the Perth CBD.

Beyond the city, WA is also welcoming expanded links to the east coast, including a new Sydney to Busselton service from Jetstar, which comes two years on from the debut of its own Melbourne-Busselton and further opens up the great Southwest of WA.

The city view from atop Optus Stadium.
Tourism Western Australia

On that list are the restaurants, bars and iconic wineries of Margaret River, together with hiking trails and legendary surf breaks, plus a wealth of chic hotels and retreats.

All of this is adding to renewed interest in Perth and West Australia, with travellers from near and far – whether arriving for a day or long weekend – the standout winners.

With the stunning mix of high-end hotels now offered in the city, not to mention stark white beaches and accessible hills littered with quaint villages and wineries, there’s never been a better time to visit.