Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Australian cricket star Adam Gilchrist, alongside his son Harry, is leading a vibrant new tourism initiative aimed at drawing Indian tourists to explore the picturesque road trips around Perth. This campaign, organized in partnership with Tourism Western Australia, spotlights the myriad of attractions located just outside the metropolitan area, highlighting the beauty and accessibility of the capital region of Western Australia. The campaign features the father-son team journeying through some of the most striking landscapes and experiences the area has to offer.
Their adventures included sandboarding and four-wheel-driving in Lancelin, an evening of stargazing at the Pinnacles, sampling wines in the Swan Valley, a dolphin-watching cruise in Rockingham, and the thrilling Vertigo rooftop experience at Optus Stadium. This curated content, specially designed for an Indian audience, will be showcased across various platforms including social media, the cricket-focused app Cricbuzz, which boasts over 50 million users in India, and on large billboards across Mumbai and Delhi. The timing of the campaign coincides with the eagerly awaited West Test cricket match between Australia and India at Optus Stadium in November 2024.
This marks the teams’ first match-up since the World Test Championship Final in June 2023, adding a layer of excitement to the campaign. India has become an increasingly important market for Western Australia, with Indian visitor numbers reaching 34,000 by March 2024, and contributing $128 million to the tourism sector. This surge has propelled India into the position of Western Australia’s seventh-largest source of tourism, a significant rise from its 11th place position in 2019.
The vibrant Indian community in Western Australia, which includes around 61,000 residents and 9,600 international students, plays a vital role in this growth. The campaign is a local extension of the successful global “Drive the Dream” initiative, which originally featured Daniel Ricciardo, a Formula 1 star native to Perth, exploring Australia’s Coral Coast. Since its launch in September 2023, the initiative has reached more than 136 million people worldwide.
Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti expressed excitement about leveraging Gilchrist’s popularity, stating, “We are delighted to have Adam Gilchrist, a revered figure in Australian cricket, to promote his home state in India. With the strong base of the Indian community here and the increasing number of visitors, we anticipate that this campaign will encourage more Indians to come for the cricket, stay for the festivities, and explore the stunning locales around Perth.” Adam Gilchrist shared his thoughts on participating in the campaign: “It’s a great privilege to work with Tourism WA and highlight the wonders of this state.
I’m eager for people in India to see our journeys and be inspired not just to visit for the cricket but to explore what Perth and Western Australia have to offer—from the desert vistas at the Pinnacles to the vineyards of Swan Valley, and from the marine life in the south to the panoramic views from Optus Stadium.” This campaign, along with the overarching “Walking On A Dream” brand strategy, aims to reinvigorate Western Australia’s tourism industry and position it as a top destination for international travelers..
