Western Australia (WA) is all set to cater Indian visitors before and during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2022. Tourism Western Australia recently visited India to promote its diverse tourism product portfolio in the India market. Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg joined Western Australia (WA) Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Roger Cook MLA, and Tourism WA Managing Director, Carolyn Turnbull to invite the Indian visitors asking them to explore the ‘The Spirit of Adventure’ alongside the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is one of the most anticipated events of 2022.
Addressing the press in Mumbai, Turnbull said : “We have received a very warm welcome in India and have hit the ground running, engaging with key travel and media contacts and meeting with aviation stakeholders, to showcase all the adventures that await visitors from India.” Western Australia showcased the incredible range of activities that the destination offers to attract Indian visitors.
Speaking on the India market, Turnbull informed, “Before pandemic, India has been a key market for further development in Western Australia and is now amongst the top 11 international markets globally. In 2019, visitors from India spent 62 million dollars during holidays in the state. It is now our mission to restore the pre-pandemic numbers and ensure that the visitors stay longer. We are now raising awareness about WA key messages, offerings and the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and invite people for the life-changing experiences in Western Australia.”
“We are launching a campaign to run throughout August to promote the extensive touring and experiential opportunities for the tourists visiting Perth during the T20 event in October. We are also trying to be ICC’s key distribution partner in India, but beyond ICC, we have been trying to engage with travel and trade distribution partners in India for the last 2 years and connecting with the top-selling agents of the market to drive conversion,” Turnbull added.
When asked about future plans to promote and execute marketing strategies, Turnbull mentioned, “We are looking forward to implementing a range of marketing initiatives including joint promotional campaigns with our online travel partners and collaborating with targeted media channels and media partners towards the large audience. We are trying our best to put the awareness right in the centre and top of the mind and India has huge potential for Western Australia in terms of both inbound and outbound tourism.”
Talking about the future plans and vision of Western Australia tourism in the post-covid scenario, Turnbull mentioned, “We are in the process of rebranding, reprocessing, and relaunching marketing strategies considering driving the post-covid traveler’s trend. We are looking forward to endorsing the key pillars that really attract aspirational travelers. We are actually excited to return back to India in the coming months during September-October to unveil a new brand, which will be furnished on 4 key strategic pillars embracing the ‘Sense of time’ – the time around the 70,000 years of continuous culture which is world’s longest living culture; ‘Space’ – as we are the 2nd largest state in the world and the post-covid traveler would like to indulge in; ‘Connection’ – Human connections resonate the strong relationship in between India and Western Australia and we wish to connect people who would preach the word of the experiences with their loved ones; ‘Sense of Freedom’ – as we want to invite travelers to explore a different world and explore the richness of history, our story and the diverse composition and have a unique delight of travel.”
Hogg spoke about things related to cricket – from the highly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to his now infamous wicket of Andy Flower in the 2003 World Cup. Brad also shared his favorite spots in Perth, and why Western Australia (WA) is the ideal destination for cricket lovers, travelers and adventure seekers. Brad and Cook highlighted Western Australia’s own “Venue of the Year”- the Perth Stadium, which will play host to many key matches, including India’s game with South Africa in less than four months.
On asking how India is positioned amongst the diverse international market for Western Australia, Cook replied, “India is a priority market for WA, and I have the vision to see Western Australia as the top three sporting capitals in South-East Asia. No matter, if the Indian tourists are visiting for education, business or leisure, WA has something for all. Tourism WA’s research indicates travelers from India are especially interested in nature and wildlife, stunning coastlines, beaches and marine wildlife, local cuisine, and a family-friendly destination – Western Australia has all this to offer and much more. More than 30,000 travelers from India visited WA in 2019. Following the return of international visitors to Western Australia, we have seen an influx of visitors from India with WA arrivals in May reaching more than 90 percent of pre-COVID levels, and forward bookings for July and August are even higher than before the pandemic.
When asked about the aviation situation in Western Australia, Cook informed, “We support the WA government’s 195 million dollars reconnect package and we are working closely with the airlines to explore new opportunities and understand new routes to Western Australia, especially from priority locations in India. Securing a direct aviation route from India to Western Australia is a key aviation priority for the Western Australian Government, as it would create even more opportunities for tourism and investment in both destinations. WA govt is committed to driving tourism and has provided Tourism WA with a 167-million-dollar budget for 2022-2023, which is the highest ever investment in the sector for marketing, adventure travel, attractions, aviation and digital experiences.”
Kuhelika Roy Choudhury
