Huang Xiaoming’s SA tourism video viewed billions of times, prompts his fans to flock to South Australia

A TOURISM campaign featuring a Chinese megastar’s visit to South Australia has been viewed billions of times, prompting tourists to flock to hot spots across the state.

• Chinese megastar Huang Xiaoming appointed SA global tourism ambassador
• Smartphone app helps Chinese travellers find SA’s best experiences
• Chinese visitors push SA tourism spend to more than $1.1 billion

A TOURISM campaign featuring a Chinese megastar’s visit to South Australia has been viewed billions of times, prompting tourists to flock to hot spots across the state.

Actor, singer and philanthropist Huang Xiaoming — sometimes referred to as the Brad Pitt of China — is halfway through a year-long deal to promote SA to the lucrative Chinese market.

The Advertiser revealed in early December that Mr Huang had secretly visited SA and filmed a campaign video of his adventures.

Infatuated visitors from China are copying his itinerary — including visiting Remarkable Rocks and Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island, the D’Arenberg Cube and Adelaide Oval — to capture selfies in the same poses as Mr Huang.

A moment from the SA tourism campaign featuring Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming, who has been appointed a Global Brand Ambassador for South Australia. Picture: SA Tourism Commission

A Chinese tourist replicates the photo. Pic WeChat

Adelaide Oval tourism manager Laura Robinson revealed the video had prompted a booking for 700 Chinese to complete the roof climb over two days later this month.

“Further inquiries have been made by a number of travelling groups from mainland China for later this year with all referencing Huang Xiaoming,” she said.

Following requests from The Advertiser, the SA Tourism commission revealed that the video or related articles had the potential to be viewed more than five billion times.

The exposure is valued at more than $675,000 if it were to be paid for directly as advertising.

The SA Tourism Commission will not say how much Mr Huang is being paid for the year-long contract but has promised more data on its impact will be available once a series of marketing campaigns finish at the end of this month.

Huang Xiaoming in the SA Tourism campaign. Picture: SA Tourism Commission

A Chinese tourist copies the picture.

Since February, eight agencies, including China’s largest online travel agent Ctrip, have partnered with the SATC to promote Mr Huang’s visit.

Campaign images have appeared in newspapers and shopping malls, on bus shelters and screens in building elevators and on the social media channels of Chinese digital influencers.

A further 30 Chinese travel agents are using images from Mr Huang’s trip to SA for separate campaigns.

The SATC, in conjunction with Tourism Australia, is working to spread the campaign to Hong Kong.

Huang Xiaoming in the SA Tourism campaign. Picture: SA Tourism Commission

… and another tourist makes his own version.

A booklet circulated there, featuring Mr Huang, recently prompted visitors to inquire with Goin’ Off Safaris in Port Lincoln, another operator involved in filming the video.

Owner David Doudle said it was “hard to say” what impact the campaign had made because his company already dealt with many Chinese travellers.

“A lot of people don’t know that he has been here, let alone that he’s been in the back of my car,” he quipped.

Mr Doudle expected word to spread further in the final six months of the campaign.

SATC chief executive Rodney Harrex said that Chinese visitors spent a total $389 million in the past year but there was a target to boost that amount to $450 million a year by 2020.