Technology has come to the aid of Destination NSW in reaching out to a diverse Indian market. Tools like Webinar are being deployed to maximize trade outreach. On the consumer side, North and West India have been the best performing markets in the country. An exclusive interview with Sandra Chipchase, CEO, Destination NSW on the product of NSW, plans ahead and much more.
What are your core markets from within India? What are your plans in the coming years? Any target in sight for 2020?
CEO, Destination NSW
Our trade and consumer engagement are targeted towards all the key tier one, two and three cities of India, and the challenges of covering a large geographical area are being met using digital technology for tools like webinars. The majority of visitors are from the north and west India, with significant growth being seen from the south and east India markets. Our in-market activity continues to leverage three core pillars – consumer messaging, trade partnerships coupled with education and support, and PR/media outreach.
The target of the NSW Government is to double overnight visitor expenditure to the State and to triple this by 2030.
Given that tourism boards within Australia are increasingly making a foray into the Indian market, how do you see the competition impacting your own outreach? I presume that the spill-over would work in your favour, given that it is a long-haul for the Indian outbound? Your thoughts.
New South Wales is Australia’s most popular tourist destination for national and international visitors. There are countless reasons to visit – from our world-famous icons such as the Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the unspoilt beaches, world-heritage National Parks, thrilling adventure activities and calendar of world-class events across our diverse and beautiful State. Destination NSW works collaboratively with Tourism Australia and the other states of Australia to grow visitor numbers and maximise the time they spend in the country.
Do you see the possibility of working in tandem with, say, the New Zealand tourism board? I ask this because such an initiative could bode well for both the countries, especially when the outbound intends to cover as much ground as possible.
With so many reasons to visit Australia, it is generally a stand-alone holiday destination for international travellers. Destination NSW has strong international partnership, marketing and public relations programs to continue to grow our State’s position as the number one destination for visitors to Australia and works with Tourism Australia in promoting Australia in global markets. Whilst our marketing efforts are separate, Destination NSW has a good relationship with the other national tourism organisations in our region, including Tourism NZ.
Cinema is an important medium of outreach. Its success in driving the outbound is well-documented. Spain, for instance, made millions with Zindagi Milegi Naa Dobaara. NSW has also hosted shoots of some big-budget blockbusters like MI2, Mad Max2 and The Great Gatsby. How much is cinema tourism a part of your strategy for the Indian market? Would you consider it as a means of highlighting what NSW has to offer?
Destination NSW works with Create NSW, the State Government’s arts and cultural agency to secure and leverage opportunities in arts, screen and culture for NSW. We’ve been delighted that the beauty and diversity of our State has been the backdrop for so many successful international films and productions and we look forward to securing more opportunities for NSW in the future.
