DESTINATION NSW BOOSTS ITS FOCUS ON INDIA

India holds huge promise as a visitor market for NSW. Not only is projected to become the world's most populous country in April 2023, with over 1.4 billion people, but Indians are the most adventurous travellers in the Asia Pacific region.   

Research released last year by online travel company Booking.com via its APAC Travel Confidence Index revealed that India is the most confident country when it comes to travel, with 86 per cent of those surveyed intending to travel in the next 12 months. 

That confidence is reflected in international travel data for 2022 released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It revealed India was the fourth biggest market for visitors to Australia in 2022, with the arrivals from India (303,000) having the strongest recovery, reaching 76 per cent of its pre-pandemic level from 2019. 

India is a priority market for Destination NSW. Prior to the pandemic, it was the fastest growing segment to NSW, with Indian travellers spending an estimated $444 million in the year ending December 2019. 

The agents who attended the Destination NSW Focus On India event attended one-on-one appointments with sellers and participated in familiarisation programs in Sydney and regional NSW.

Activities in Sydney included BridgeClimb, visits to Australian National Maritime Museum  and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, a tour of Sydney Opera House, a scenic flight with Sydney Seaplanes, Oz Jet Boating rides, a Clearview Glassboat Sydney Harbour dinner cruise and a Taronga Zoo tour.

The post-familiarisation groups enjoyed a variety of visitor experiences in the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Southern Highlands, Jervis Bay, Shoalhaven and Kangaroo Valley

Port Stephen Koala Sanctuary Business Development and Marketing Manager James Cook said: "This is the first time that Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary has had the opportunity to come to such a wonderful trade event. It’s been a fantastic experience for us to meet up to 40 agents from the Indian market. For a new product like ours it is just sensational."

Crown Towers Director of Sales Michael Fletcher said: “It has been great for us to meet the Indian market in person at this trade event. To see the agents' excitement about our new product and reengage with them has been fantastic.”

Beacon Holidays Director Heena Munshaw said: “Sydney has the best harbour in the world and there are so many activities and beautiful things to do. The experience of this harbour in the middle of the city is magnetic. Post pandemic, the Indian traveller mindset is changing, it’s getting far more experiential. Our customers need to discover more NSW regions."

Kesari Tours Director Zelam Chaubal said: “There are so many things to do in and around Sydney. Our clients just love NSW and they want to spend more time here enjoying the experiences on offer.”

Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox welcomed the Indian agents and NSW operators during a networking event at Terrance on the Domain.

"NSW features visitor experiences like nowhere else. From the outback to the mountains, to the city and the coast, this unmatched offering and its energising impact are a significant drawcard for Indian travellers," Mr Cox said. 

"International visitation to NSW continues to increase exponentially, with 946,200 visitors generating $3.6 billion in visitor expenditure during the year to September 2022. NSW continues to lead the nation for international visitor numbers, absolute growth and market share.

"Destination NSW has a laser-sharp focus on ensuring visitation and spend continues to skyrocket."

Destination NSW Director of Product and Industry Development Kylie-Jane Menzies said it was rewarding to provide platforms for buyers and sellers to reconnect, with 38 Indian agents participated in more than 1000 meetings with 32 NSW tourism businesses.

"There was an electrifying buzz in the room during the one-on-one sessions that Destination NSW hosted at Taronga Zoo," she said. 

'There is nothing more satisfying than seeing old colleagues and new colleagues connect and do business. The excitement expressed by buyers about NSW visitor experiences was incredibly positive and an encouraging indicator of potential growth for this market." 

DESTINATION NSW APPOINTS INDIA COUNTRY MANAGER 

Destination NSW has strengthened its presence in India with the appointment of a new country manager – Samar Chokshi - who joins Destination NSW from Tourism Australia.

Mr Chokshi and Destination NSW Business Development Manager India Pooja Razdan accompanied buyers to Sydney for the Focus on India trade event.

Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said he was delighted to have a professional of Samar’s calibre joining Destination NSW to help turbocharge the growth of the Indian market to NSW. 

“Samar's track record in promoting Australia as a destination in India is outstanding – as are his relationships with stakeholders right across the Indian travel and tourism sector," Mr Cox said.

“His appointment and strategic partnerships to grow airline capacity and open new markets underscore the importance of India to NSW and our commitment to ensuring Sydney and NSW are well positioned for success.” 

Mr Chokshi said he was excited to promote NSW and Sydney to potential travellers in India. 

“NSW and Sydney have such a rich diversity of experiences and landscapes that are highly appealing to Indian nationals and prospective visitors to Australia. Sydney and surrounds plus the many stunning regions will be a key focus for our Sydney-Plus strategy in India,” Mr Chokshi said. 

“It’s an honour to lead marketing and promotional activities for NSW in India and to identify new and growing opportunities to profile this beautiful state.' 

HUGE POTENTIAL FOR INDIAN BUSINESS EVENTS  

Business Events Sydney (BESydney) recently announced the appointment of Joo-Rei Mathieson as Associate Director – Global Corporate & Incentive, to target new opportunities in the rapidly rising India market and driving business development across the region.

Ms Mathieson has a network of clients and industry peers in the Asia market and her new role will include engaging local and global stakeholders and companies to secure their corporate meetings and incentive programs for Sydney and NSW.

BESydney Director – Global Corporates & Incentives Sinead Yeo said: “We are very excited to have Joo-Rei join the team. India is a burgeoning market of opportunity for BESydneythat is going from strength to strength. We look forward to Joo-Rei’s new business event perspectives and supporting the team in this post-pandemic recovery environment."

Learn more

In April 2023, Tourism Australia and BESydney will host the Business Events Australia Asia Mega Famil Showcase.

The program will include three days in Sydney, where international planners from India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea will have the opportunity to meet with Australian convention bureaux during a half day business session and enjoy a destination showcase. The buyers and media will also experience another Australian destination via either a pre or post famil.

BOOSTING FLIGHTS FROM INDIA TO SYDNEY

Destination NSW is working in partnership with airlines to drive incremental visitation to Sydney and NSW from India via the $60 million Aviation Attraction Fund.

The fund landed the first non-stop flights between Australia and southern India in 2022, with Qantas commencing Sydney-Bengaluru (Bangalore) services.

With a population of 13 million people, the Bengaluru community has strong connections to Australia for both business travel and people visiting friends and relatives. 

The popularity of the route has led Qantas to expand its codeshare partnership with India's largest domestic carrier IndiGo in 2023. The agreement now includes connections to 21 Indian destinations.