Poor air access hits the west

POOR direct international air access is resulting in a decline in commercial activity in the west.

Tourism is a key employer in the area with almost 24,000 people working in accommodation and food service in 2010. However, the Western Development Commission (WDC) said the sector has been in decline and without better international air connections, the tourism industry will remain at a competitive disadvantage.

It said the growth in popularity of ‘short-break’ tourism, coupled with the inaccessibility of the Western Region compared with other regions, has made it difficult to compete.