The Perth Inner City Group (PICG) has invested in a Destination Perth marketing campaign to attract additional interstate and intrastate visitors to key destinations and local business centres located within a five-minute drive of the Perth CBD.
All Small Business Friendly, the Cities of Perth, South Perth, Subiaco and Vincent and the Town of Victoria Park make up the PICG, which collectively, contains 43,869 small businesses and 20 per cent of WA workers within their boundaries, representing a key component of the State’s economy.
The voluntary regional alliance has been active since 2019 and is a forum where the local governments in inner urban areas can unite and share information for the broader region’s benefit. One main aim of the group is to attract more visitors to local neighbourhoods through a Destination Perth Campaign.
The vibrant Victoria Park restaurant and hospitality strip is one feature destination in the campaign. The town is home to more than 1,743 food businesses, many of which are Asian restaurants. In fact, Albany Highway has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s best Asian eat streets, reflecting the multi-cultural demographic of the area. As a snapshot, 7.3 per cent of Victoria Park’s multi-cultural population is of Chinse ancestry compared to 5.3 per cent of Greater Perth. A lunar New Year event is planned in 2024 to attract even more foot traffic on the strip and promote the Victoria Park Asian community businesses.
The City of Vincent boasts popular attractions include the beautiful Hyde Park, first gazetted as a public garden in 1897, and five vibrant town centres with award-winning dining and alfresco cafe culture. The premier sporting and concert venue of Perth Rectangular stadium has attracted many thousands of travellers during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and hosted popular musicians such as Harry Styles and the Foo Fighters in 2023.
The City of Subiaco contains the Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, resident at the Subiaco Arts Centre, which showcases First Nations’ cultural heritage through performance. The theatre’s proximity to the CBD and easy transport options, makes it very accessible for international visitors seeking a unique cultural experience. Subiaco is also a popular boutique shopping destination.
The view of the Perth skyline from the iconic river foreshore is a jewel in the City of South Perth’s crown. The Swan and Canning rivers ecosystems also provide a unique opportunity for interstate and international visitors to view abundant aquatic wildlife such as dolphins and black swans in such close proximity to residential and business precincts.
By presenting a united, strategic, and long-term regional perspective, the PICG aims to deliver better funding, policy, sustainability, and collaborative outcomes for the businesses in central Perth region as visitors number recover in the post-pandemic era. Many of the small businesses located in the local council areas rely on the visitation generated by destination promotion initiatives.
The five member LGAs demonstrate their commitment to their small business communities by their participation in the Small Business Friendly Local Governments initiative. For more information visit:
