Award-winning Local Government in tourism
The City of Swan's commitment to tourism has been recognised, having won the Local Government category of the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in 2013, and the same category of the Western Australian Tourism Awards 2011-2013 (Hall of Fame induction 2014).
This award results from the Council’s commitment since 2002 to manage the Swan Valley Visitor Centre and the planning, marketing and business support provided to the tourism industry for close to two decades.
Today, the Swan Valley Visitor Centre is regarded as one of Australia's best, servicing more than half a million enquiries per annum.
In 2020 the Centre was awarded gold in the Visitor and Information Services category of the 2019 Australian Tourism Awards. This was the third consecutive win resulting in the further award of the Hall of Fame trophy.
These awards follow on from the Centre’s consecutive gold medals (2017-2019) in the same category and induction for a second time into the WA Tourism Awards Hall of Fame.
Also located within the City of Swan are two significant tourism destinations: the Swan Valley, Western Australia’s oldest wine region; and Guildford, classified in 1984 as a Historic Town by the National Trust of Australia (WA) and in 2019 added to the State Register of Heritage Places.
The Swan Valley today is a renowned grape growing region encompassing premium wineries, restaurants, fresh food producers, breweries, distilleries and a variety of recreational, cultural and tourism attractions.
Guildford is home to antique and homeware shops, heritage pubs and restaurants and four heritage walk trails. The local Aboriginal people and custodians of the land are Whadjuk Noongar people who have inhabited the Swan coastal plain, dating back some 40,000 years.
Tourism is a significant contributor to Swan’s economy with the Swan Valley in 2019 attracting 5.4 million visits per annum and generating $430 million in expenditure.
The City of Swan Council July 1, 2015 endorsed a five-year Tourism Development Strategy 2015-2020(PDF, 2MB) which sets the strategic direction and positioning for the City and its industry partners to contribute to Tourism Western Australia’s 2020 targets.
The strategy identifies catalyst projects and a program of actions across key service areas and the City’s diverse places. It was developed in consultation with key Western Australian tourism stakeholder organisations and the local tourism industry.