Last year alone, the Margaret River Pro generated a $5.4-million economic boost for the region and has generated over $20 million since the event was granted top tier status in 2013.
An independent report commissioned by Tourism WA showed that the event attracted over 6,200 visitors to the region, who stayed more than 28,000 nights.
Over 223 hours of broadcast vision was beamed onto millions of televisions around the world, in fact, 640,000 were confirmed viewers in just the USA and Australia alone.
Online, it’s viewed by millions of adoring surf fans in all corners of the globe who tune into the free live stream that is interspersed with postcard vision of the region including wineries, forests, caves, coastline and more, promoting it as a fantastic holiday destination.
Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association chief executive officer Claire Savage said the pro provided unparalleled exposure for the region.
“Surfing is synonymous with an active outdoors lifestyle - the pro showcases the region, its clean, beautiful ocean and coastline as well as all the surrounding natural attractions to an engaged global audience of millions,” she said.
“Accommodation in the region is at (or near) capacity and the restaurants are buzzing as thousands of visitors flock to the region for the pro, while millions more watch online.
“It has a positive impact on local tourism businesses and a huge impact on the region as a whole.”
Rok Kombucha Margaret River founder Amanda Carroll agreed saying her product, made from local ingredients, benefited from being a part of the event.
“The professional surf athletes who compete in the pro are understandably very health conscious and we’re proud to align our business with the sport’s top tier competition,” she said.
“We love Margaret River and love that it hosts a world class event that brings the world’s best surfers to our shores.”
Stella Bella chief winemaker Luke Jolliffe said the event encompassed the Margaret River lifestyle.
“The Margaret River Pro is an iconic world class event that brings the world’s best surfers and showcases the Margaret River region to the world,” he said.
“The pro really celebrates what the Margaret River lifestyle is all about - amazing surf, food, wine and arts. We’re very proud to support this event and look forward to sharing our wines and the good times this year.”
“Settlers Tavern is iconic to hospitality and entertainment in Margaret River just as the Margaret River Pro is to world-class surfing,” said Settlers Tavern Managing Director Rob Gough
“The tav was built as a haven during the emerging surf culture in the 1970s.
“The pro is an important event for Margaret River - it continues to put the region in the mind of surfers around the world - they see the epic waves and stunning scenery, and when they can, they visit and surf those waves themselves.
“We believe it’s important to give back to the community and sponsoring the Margaret River Pro like we’ve done for the past 20 years is one way we do that.”
Gnarabup business owner Simon Tien said sponsoring the competition allowed him to showcase Floating Euphoria to the sport’s elite.
“This is our second year sponsoring the pro and we’re thrilled to support it again,” he said.
“Last year we had several professional surf athletes enjoy the benefits of a float all thanks to the Pro - including John John Florence and the legend himself Kelly Slater.
“I can’t think of a better event that showcases our beautiful coastline and natural surrounds to those who appreciate it the most, surfers. It’s wonderful for the region, for local businesses like ours and for surf fans across the planet.”
Australia’s South West chief executive officer Catrin Allsop said the advent of new technology added another layer of exposure for the region.
“The Margaret River Pro showcases our stunning region like no other event can via live streaming to an audience of millions around the world, in particular to surfers and surf fans, many of whom are also lovers of the natural environment,” said Ms Allsop.
“We’re proud to support the Margaret River Pro because it generates many different benefits for the region - from promoting its assets to attracting thousands of visitors - which in turn creates an economic boost for our members and other local businesses.”
Don’t forget to stay up to date with the very latest results and news from the 2018 Margaret River Pro event site at busseltonmail.com.au.