PERTH has slipped from the top of the table as a choice for foodies.
State Government department Tourism WA had reported Perth had more restaurants per capita than any other capital city in Australia.
But after questions from Community News, it said it was no longer able to verify that claim.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWA Tourism WA spokesperson said the per capita claim had been removed from its media kit and website as “part of an annual review of our communication materials”.
“We can no longer verify if this is still the case for our capital city but on a state-wide level, WA has about 4009 of the approximate 45,000 restaurants, cafes and caterers in Australia,” the spokesperson said.
Tourism WA reported in its 2019 Media Kit that Perth had the most restaurants per capita.
The claim was also used by the City of Perth on its blog and Facebook page as recently as last month and as promotion for the Australian Tourism Exchange Media Program, which was held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in April.
Late last week the claim was still being reported by various websites, including the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Data from Australiasbestcity.com.au showed in 2018 Perth had the second lowest number of restaurants per 100,000 people.
It had 81.49 restaurants per 100,000 people, ahead of only Brisbane on 78.43.
Canberra had the highest number of restaurants at 267.3 per 100,000 people, followed by Hobart on 175.39.
The findings were based on the number of restaurants in the March 2018 Yellow Pages online listing directory, excluding fast food restaurants and function centres.
It said as not all restaurants were listed in public directories the data should be taken as a “general guide”.
Eating out in Perth was the top activity for interstate and international visitors in from 2016 to 2018, according to research by Federal Government branch Tourism Research Australia.
The Tourism WA spokesperson said Perth still had the “perfect ingredients for even the fussiest foodies”.
“Through an explosion in new dining options, the traditional hubs of Northbridge, Leederville and Mt Lawley have been joined by high-quality inner-city venues, while a string of oceanfront restaurants and cafes serve up quality seafood and pub fare,” the spokesperson said.