Allan goes in to bat for Victoria’s tourism sector in India amid low visitation rates

Premier Jacinta Allan has made a unique attempt at selling the state as a key tourism destination, spruiking Victoria’s love of sport with a hit of cricket in India.

Premier Jacinta Allan plays cricket at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi India. Picture: Jai Narula

The state government is pushing to lift Indian tourism and capitalise on the projected 26.7 million overseas trips expected to be made from the country this year.

Rounding off a five-day visit to India this week, Premier Jacinta Allan met tourism operators to sell the state as a key tourist destination.

“You won’t find any other city in the world with both a grand slam and a Grand Prix,” she told a gathering of tourism operators.

“You also won’t find anywhere else in Australia with the depth and breadth of museums and culture and restaurants and night life and street life.

“And you won’t find anywhere else in the world like the MCG on day one of the Boxing Day Test.”

Premier Jacinta Allan went in to bat for Victoria in India, pitching the state as a key tourist destination. Picture: Jai Narula

India is Victoria’s fifth-biggest inbound tourism market, behind New Zealand, China, the USA and Britain.

But the government believes there is significant untapped potential for Victorian tourism.

Latest figures show an estimated 2.4 million international overnight visitors spent $7.8bn in the year ending March 2024.

But visitation remains significantly lower than pre-Covid, at 78 per cent, while the overall spend is still 9 per cent lower.

However, visitors from India have been increasing, with 195,000 visiting the state in the last financial year, a 27 per cent increase since 2019.

Premier Jacinta Allan had high praise for Victoria’s unlocked tourism potential. Picture: Jai Narula

In a meeting with Indian sporting stars this week — including Australian Open doubles champion Rohan Bohpana and leading female cricket commentator Sanjana Ganesan — the Premier said sport could drive international appeal and unlock huge potential.

She also met with Richard Ostroff, head of broadcast at Cricket Australia, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to celebrate securing the Boxing Day Test until 2030.

At an event for major tourism operators Ms Allan said she saw huge potential in a greater bilateral relationship.

“I absolutely love this country,” she said.

“I was in awe of it before I arrived, I will carry that all with me all the way home.

“If you ask me what it is about India that excites me the most, the answer is the possibility.

“India is very much the future of the world.”

Premier Jacinta Allan talks Victoria’s tourism sector while the state sees significantly lower visitation than pre-Covid. Picture: Jai Narula

The state government is working with India’s Pro Kabaddi League to bring a showcase event to Melbourne by 2026.

Sources said the event could happen much sooner, as the PKL was keen to capitalise on this year’s Australia v India Boxing Day Test.

The contact sport – described as a cross between rugby and wrestling, but without a ball – sits behind only cricket as the most popular in India, with an estimated 356 million followers.

A local event would expose Victoria to millions of Indians, as the PKL is broadcast to at least 200 million households.

Originally published as Allan goes in to bat for Victoria’s tourism sector in India amid low visitation rates