Tour operators rail against WA's hard border

Western Australian tour operators say they're being bled dry by the state's ongoing hard border, as other jurisdictions around Australia open up.

The backyard holiday boom has benefited some operators, but others are only just scraping by. Interstate tourists spent more than $2.7 billion in Western Australia in the year to March – an average of $1500 per tourist.

Figures today showed the state's domestic tourism had declined by 26 per cent for July.

"The truth is, we will save more tourism jobs with interstate tourism than without," Tourism Council of WA CEO Evan Hall said.

But Premier Mark McGowan claimed "other states" wanted Western Australia to open its border so westerners would travel east, not the other way around.

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"The borders will come down eventually," Mr McGowan said.

"Let's just be cautious and careful in the way that we do it."

WA tourism operators are also still waiting for cash grants from the state government to help them through the pandemic.

Grants of up to $100,000 were due in September.

And meanwhile, bookings for next year are being lost.

"They're going to be going to Cairns instead of Broome, they're going to go to Tasmania instead of Margaret River, and those bookings are being made now," Mr Hall said.