Embattled tourism operators in Western Australia's Kimberley say they have experienced a drop-off in visitors in the wake of the Fitzroy River flood disaster and the rising cost of living.

Tourism Council WA (TCWA) said its latest quarterly tourism survey showed a 17 per cent decrease in net business activity for the June quarter.

It is the first downturn since the WA border opened last year, and Kimberley operators in particular say they have felt the sting.

Wyndham perseveres

Wyndham is about 100 kilometres from the main town centre of Kununurra, and has maintained a steady flow of visitors since the dry season began.

Not on a major driving route and occasionally cut off from the west due to closures of the Fitzroy bridge, tourists who visit Wyndham have to be intentional about seeking out one of the state's oldest towns.

Wyndham Historical Society and museum volunteer Maxine Reid said while it had been a quieter year, people were still taking the time to enjoy the unique quirks of northern WA.

"May is always fairly slow, and with the Fitzroy River Bridge being out, that has slowed everything down even more," she said.

She said it would always be difficult to compare visitor numbers to last year when COVID-19 restrictions eased.

"Last year was really, really good because everybody was allowed to travel. They all left home and away they went," Ms Reid said.

Sector hit hard

TCWA chief executive Evan Hall said that while government cash incentives to help businesses in the north impacted by years of uncertainty were welcome, the sector had still been hit hard by the latest downturn.

"During the pandemic, Perth residents travelled to regional Western Australia and particularly the south west in large numbers, driving demand for accommodation — although attractions struggled from the lack of interstate travel," he said.

He said the cost of living and rising interest rates had also dissuaded travellers. 

"Now we are seeing domestic tourism declining but international travel has not recovered enough to cover the slowdown," Mr Hall said.

Tourists press on

Some interstate tourists continue to press on despite road closures and financial pressures currently being experienced by many Australians.

Jane from Newcastle is travelling with a group of family and friends and visited Wyndham's famous Croc Cafe and Bakery for a pie this week.

She said she had not been deterred from visiting the magic of the Kimberley.

David and Sandra are also visiting from a small farm near the South Australian and Victorian border and said they were excited to ditch the jeans and jumpers for warmer weather.

"We want to do the Gibb River Road, so this [Wyndham] is a stop-over and then we'll go back and do that … we've got seven weeks all up, so we're just cruising," David said.