Indian influencers including Sara Tendulkar help generate almost $200m for Queensland tourism on cricket tour
The extraordinary pulling power of Indian influencers on a Queensland getaway has been revealed – and our tourism industry could be laughing all the way to the bank.
Confidential
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Queensland is poised for another Indian invasion, as new data reveals the extraordinary pulling power of the Bollywood influencers who visited the Sunshine State during the summer of cricket.
Capitalising on the enormous interest in the Border-Gavaskar Test series which just wrapped up, Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland hosted some of India’s most influential social media stars at some of the Sunshine State’s best-loved tourist attractions with their photos and videos beamed to a combined following of more than 55 million fans.
And with the Indian cricket team expected to tour Queensland again next season as part of a limited-overs tour in October-November, the Sunshine State has a golden opportunity to cash in on the influencers, who generated an estimated $180 million in exposure from their posts during their visit.
A social media content series with former Australian cricket star David Warner and the ‘Howzat for a holiday?’ campaign featuring Test captain Pat Cummins were also viewed almost 100 million times across India over the past few weeks, leaving tourism officials hopeful the results will lead to another rush of travel when the two teams next do battle Down Under later this year.
Indian visitors during the Gabba Test generated an estimated $3 million for the Brisbane economy and there are hopes of a similar payday if Indian visitors pan holidays around the forthcoming one-day and T20 series’.
Among the Indian influencers who shared the love for Queensland were Sara Tendulkar, the daughter of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood personalities Mini Mathur and Ishaan Khatter and former Indian cricket fast bowler Zaheer Khan.
Between them they generated almost 700 posts to a combined audience of 55 million people.
Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said the next Indian cricket tour would be ‘the perfect excuse” for fans exposed to the tourism campaign to head to our shores.
“We knew that while the cricket was on, the attention of India would be firmly on Australia giving us the perfect opportunity to invite Indian travellers to plan and book an Australian holiday,” she said.
“The Indian cricket team returning to Australia later this year to play a series of One Day Internationals and T20s could provide the perfect excuse for Indian cricket fans to visit Australia and see for themselves the destinations we have been promoting.
“We hope those Indian travellers who make the trip to Australia to catch the action on the pitch stay and explore the world class tourism experiences on offer outside of our stadiums.”
Australian Tourism Minister Don Farrell said the exposure generated by ad campaigns and social media posts had yield “incredible results”.
“I’m sure it will inspire Indian cricket fans who tuned in to watch the Test series to come and say g’day,” he said.
“We have already seen the number of Indian travellers visiting Australia soar to record levels and the Test series will help to ensure that demand for an Australian holiday continues to grow.”
Cummins, who starred with Ruby the kangaroo in the Howzat for a holiday campaign, said he also appreciated how the enormous interest in the summer of cricket could transcend from sport to tourism dollars.
“The ad showcased what Australia has to offer outside our stadiums and we hope it encouraged Indian cricket fans to plan a trip Down Under,” he said.
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