High fuel prices are putting the brakes on travel plans for some Western Australians ahead of the Easter long weekend.

Wellard couple Nathan and Sophie Regan have cancelled their annual family road trip to Margaret River and will instead spend Easter at home.

“It was going to cost us nearly $200 for fuel alone, so our usual cheap camping holiday is now too expensive for us to justify,” Mrs Regan says.

According to Fuel Watch, the average price of diesel in WA this month is $3.13 per litre, compared to $1.85 per litre around the same time last year.

The average price of unleaded petrol is $2.42 per litre, compared to $1.79 in April last year.

Despite the Albanese government’s decision to half the fuel excise earlier this week in a bid to lower prices, long-distance road travel is still significantly more expensive than last Easter.

The volume of traffic leaving Perth on Easter Thursday tends to increase by approximately 9000 vehicles, according to Main Roads WA.

However, with families like the Regans cancelling their trips, Main Roads expects less cars on the road.

The impact is being felt across WA campgrounds, with operators reporting cancellations and quieter bookings than expected for peak holiday season.

Dunsborough Lakes Holiday Resort owner Donna Schaal is one of them.

“We are normally fully booked over the Easter long weekend [but] this year we have definitely dropped down on our bookings, so it does make it hard for us,” she says.

Australian Regional Tourism chief executive officer Lauren Douglass warns the drop in tourism could be detrimental for many small businesses.

“If these pressures continue, some businesses simply won’t be able to trade their way through,” she says.

“Then the longer-term impact is that once small businesses close, it is incredibly difficult to bring them back.”

Mrs Douglass is encouraging travellers who can afford it to consider the long-term wellbeing of regional communities before changing their travel plans.

“We hope to see more Australians choosing to support our regional communities,” she says.

“That’s what Australians do best – we support each other.”

Petrol station operators are also preparing for a challenging period, with some tightening security measures as fuel theft rises alongside prices.

Petrol station operator Jonathan Caswang says fuel theft has surged in the past two weeks, and fears this will intensify ahead of the long weekend.

“People have been driving off with $400, $500 worth of fuel lately,” he says.

“With Easter coming up, we are scared because that will probably get worse.”

For families like the Regans, the rising cost of fuel is reshaping what was once an affordable holiday tradition.