WA’s advertising campaign with Adam Gilchrist hopes to secure slice of billion dollar Indian tourism market

WA is scrambling to get a slice of the lucrative multi-billion dollar Indian tourism market with hopes of bringing in up to $250 million a year. With visitor spend from the subcontinent soaring since the pandemic to $128 million last year, the State Government has rolled out its latest advertising campaign starring former cricketing legend Adam Gilchrist — in hopes of doubling the number of Indian visitors ahead of this summer’s West Test. In a bid to cover waning Chinese tourist numbers, other States — including NSW and Victoria — have been vying to win over Indian visitors, tourism experts say. But WA’s proximity across the Indian Ocean has put it in the box seat, with optimism that the Gilchrist-lead campaign will stand out in the crowded market. In five years, spending from Indian tourists has grown from $63 million to $128 million in March. And with hopes of doubling visitor numbers, WA is eying up to a quarter of a billion dollars a year from the market — which is estimated to be worth about $9 billion Australia-wide. Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said the growing Indian community in WA had strong links to their home country, who encouraged family and friends to visit. WA’s Indian community has risen to 61,000 residents, including almost 10,000 international students. “We have a very successful Indian diaspora here too. That also helps and supports more business links, more other links between us and India — we have some benefits,” she said. Ms Saffioti said India’s growing middle class also meant there were millions of potential tourists, looking to try something “different”. “A lot of countries are chasing it, but we believe our unique experiences, our proximity and our very active and successful diaspora put us in a very good position. “We see India as an incredible market for tourism. It’s growing middle class and because of the volume of people, we’re talking tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people. “The other feedback we get is they want to try something different. There’s a lot of, especially younger, middle-class Indians, wanting different experiences, unique experiences that maybe everyone else hasn’t undertaken.” Tourism Council WA boss Evan Hall said the market had a compelling case for growth in numbers and spending and had the potential to equal Chinese visitors to WA. A doubling of visitors from India would likely see spending rise to $250 million a year. “Everyone’s looking for more diversified markets and not relying on any one country,” he said. “We were never that reliant on Chinese visitors compared to places like Sydney and Melbourne, but there is fierce competition with destinations like Sydney and Melbourne for the Indian visitor. “Everybody wants them because they can see it as a sort of high-value market that could be travelling on the same scale as China, but as an alternative to relying just on China.” Harnessing Gilchrist’s popularity in India, the new advertising campaign shows the cricketing legend and his son, Harry, taking part in activities including sandboarding in Lancelin and a rooftop tour of Optus Stadium. In videos for Indian social media Gilchrist and his son stargaze at the Pinnacles, visit wineries in the Swan Valley, and take a dolphin boat cruise in Rockingham. The campaign will also feature on large billboards in Mumbai and Delhi, directing locals to accommodation, tourism experiences and deals with Indian travel agency Thomas Cook and Skyscanner which will offer packages to Perth. Central to it is Perth’s hosting of the first test match of the summer of cricket — the West Test between Australia and India. Videos of the pair’s activities will be posted to Indian social media, while ads featuring Gilchrist would feature on Cricbuzz — the most downloaded sporting app in the world with 50 million users. Appearing at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Gilchrist described the deal with the app as a “great get”. More broadly, the former cricketer said the campaign would help address beliefs that Perth was too isolated. “I think people feel that because it’s remote, there’s not these accessible opportunities, just literally on the doorstep,” Mr Gilchrist said. “The Drive the Dream campaign shows that you can base here in Perth and have day trips out and have all these significantly different experiences, of course, with the backdrop of the beautiful city of Perth and the beaches here to fall back on. “Perth is geographically the gateway to South Asia and it makes so much sense to come into Australia via Perth, have an experience here, and then skip over to the east coast and experience everything else that’s wonderful about Australia.” Mr Hall said the campaign was clear strategic marketing to appeal to India’s famed love of cricket as well as strong local ties. “We’re very well placed for that market, not least of which — time zone, lot of Indian migrants, permanent residents or citizens here in Perth, and they’ll bring their friends and relatives. “Of course, if you’re really just over for the for the cricket. What’s the best venue to watch it at — well, then it’d be Optus Stadium.” Ms Saffioti also revealed she had been in discussions about bringing the Indian Premier League to WA. The West understands discussions have centred around a friendly against the Perth Scorchers — a first for Australia. “There’s potential there. So when we have things like Test matches when we potentially grab an IPL team — that would be a great dream of mine — they’re the types of things that would attract people from all over Southeast Asia and interstate,” she said. “We’ve initiated conversations, yes. So potentially, an IPL match played at Optus. That would be the vision.” A potential IPL match would follow other bold bids to lure top entertainment to WA, which has seen English Premier League teams hosted in Perth as well as the UFC, the WWE and big-name bands like Coldplay. But the latest campaign is not just about getting attendance up for a one-off event like the Test cricket — rather using it as leverage. “It’s about activating that test match. We’ve had you know, teams visit before . . . and it is the first test so that’s great. It’s a good place to enter Australia for tourists,” Ms Saffioti said. “We’re also trying to have some business and trade events around that first test. Maybe somewhat at wider community events too. “Trying to use the sporting event to leverage economic relationships and more general tourism products — that’s what we’re doing. “We’re working with a number of groups at the moment to try and see what type of Indian festival can surround the first Test.”