Korean TV is Queensland reality

JOINT STATEMENT

Bucket List Travel to Australia producer Jiwon Lee

A new South Korean reality TV show – Bucket List Travel to Australia – featuring five celebrities exploring exclusively Queensland holiday destinations will begin production in the State later this year.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the five holidaying Korean celebrities could potentially generate up to $40 million in publicity value for Queensland’s world-class destinations.

“Shot entirely in Queensland, this show complements our strategy for fast tracking the recovery of the State’s international tourism industry,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“We want to make the celebrities’ Queensland holiday experiences the stars of the show when it screens on South Korean TV to a population of almost 52 million.

“Queensland’s iconic beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, cuisine, city destinations and island escapes will fill Korean screens.

“It’s predicted the celebrity experiences will help to inspire a new wave of international Korean visitors to Queensland for dream holiday getaways.”

Before the pandemic, South Korea was Queensland’s sixth largest visitor country by spend, delivering $250 million per year for our visitor economy.

Approximately 74,000 South Koreans visited Queensland in 2019.

Member for Cairns and Assistant Tourism Minister Michael Healy said filming would include several destinations and experiences.

“Naturally I’m over the moon to see Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef on the Bucket List Travel to Australia itinerary,” Mr Healy said.

“Tourism and Events Queensland will also roll out a Korean marketing campaign highlighting many of the great getaway experiences in the Far North.

“The campaign will air in tandem with the reality show to highlight the Queensland destinations visited by the Korean celebrities including Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

“We understand the show will air weekly in South Korean primetime and feature a new Queensland region and its visitor experiences each episode.

“South Korean reality TV is a big win for Queensland inbound international tourism and our State’s screen industry.”

The made-in-Queensland Korean free-to-air TV show is produced by ‘Law of the Jungle’s’ Jiwon Lee who said great locations, scenery and like-minded partners were the reason for choosing Queensland.

“As the first destination for the new series, we wanted to choose a place than offered a good blend of city and nature, as well as a focus on ecotourism and great people living and working in that space,” Mr Lee said.

“Queensland is the perfect destination with attractive cities like the Gold Coast and Brisbane and world-famous natural icons like the Great Barrier Reef and rainforests.”

Brisbane City Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he was confident that the entire series could be based in Brisbane given the city’s huge range of experiences.

“This international interest just demonstrates how Brisbane keeps getting better and that the rest of the world is discovering the best city in Australia,” Cr Schrinner said.

“With our status as a future host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I’m confident international interest in Brisbane will gather momentum.”

Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the reality TV series would re-introduce the region to South Koreans.

“The Gold Coast boasts 52-kilometres of golden beaches which is home to the world’s first floating underwater reef, unspoiled World Heritage listed rainforest and cool urban coastal precincts, all within a 45-minute radius,” Ms O’Callaghan said.

“South Korea has always been a good market for the Gold Coast and prior to the pandemic was our sixth largest for international holiday visitors.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said the series would showcase the diverse ways to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest to young people wanting to escape city life.

“Before the pandemic about half of our 13,000 Korean visitors were students and working holiday makers wanting to enjoy living in a relaxed tropical environment where they could work and play in paradise,” Mr Olsen said.

Promoting Queensland to a South Korean audience is an initiative of Tourism and Events Queensland in partnership with Tourism Australia, Brisbane Economic Development Agency, Destination Gold Coast and Tourism Tropical North Queensland.

“For world-class visitor destinations, Australian films, Hollywood blockbusters or reality TV, Queensland is the place to be,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

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