Western Australia's government has introduced a new low-cost travel package for holiday travelers in (Rottnest Island), Rhodes Island, to waive the cost of children under 12 from entering the island for the next six months.
All Rhodes Island travelers are required to pay the state of government a landing fee to fund the island's protection and supply and maintenance of facilities, according to the Western Australian newspaper.
For children under the age of 12, the daytime landing fee is A $6.5 and the overnight fee is A $8. Starting Tuesday, the fee will be waived and the fare will be reduced accordingly.
"this would be a great money-saving plan for families," said (Paul Papalia), director of the tourism department. "as the program continues, more families will have access to accommodation and other discounts."
"the island of Rhodes has never been more tourist-friendly and more valuable."
Figures released last week showed a drop in the number of visitors to Western Australia, but the number of visitors to Rhodes Island remained at a high level. The number of tourists on the island has grown very fast over the past four years, reaching 660000 4691 last year, compared with 480000 6336 in 2013.
Some 220000 people went to Rhodes last summer, including 80, 7400 boat passengers in January-the largest monthly passenger count since the ferry records were first collected 27 years ago. In general, about 2/3 of visitors to the island are native to Western Australia, and about 1/6 come from abroad.
The exemption for children will be extended to Sept. 20, with adult landings still at A $18 a day and A $24 per day, free for children under 4 years of age.
