Premier and Gilly team up to get Indian travellers to holiday in WA

  • Premier’s inaugural visit to India to strengthen economic ties and boost WA tourism
  • Cricket legend Adam Gilchrist to join Premier Mark McGowan on India trip
  • WA delegation with a focus on tourism, international education, trade and investment
  • McGowan Government to invest $1 million to promote Western Australia in India 
  • Premier Mark McGowan and Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist will be in India next week, as part of the State Government’s Premier-led delegation to the key Western Australian international trading partner.

    The delegation joining Mr McGowan includes representatives from Perth Airport, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and Australia India Business Council WA.

    It marks the Premier’s first visit to India, with key meetings organised regarding tourism and direct flights, resources, international education and government. 

    Mr McGowan will be joined by Mr Gilchrist, as a new ambassador, to announce the State Government, through Tourism Western Australia, will invest an additional $1 million to encourage more Indians to holiday in WA.

    The additional funding will raise awareness of WA as a holiday destination and help to encourage direct flights between India and Perth. It will be invested in co-operative marketing campaigns, trade education, consumer awareness, media and public relations activities.

    The Premier and Mr Gilchrist will meet with Indian travel trade, airline representatives and media over the course of the trip, in a bid to increase leisure and business visitation to WA, with a focus on encouraging Indians to travel to WA for next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.

    India is a growing tourism market for Western Australia – representing the ninth largest international market for visitor numbers, and 11th largest market in visitor spend.

    There was an 11.1 per cent overall growth in visitor numbers from India in the year ending June 2019, with leisure visitors increasing by 15.3 per cent.

    This mission follows the McGowan Government’s success in securing direct flights from other key international markets including Tokyo and Shanghai.

    Western Australia has held a long and successful relationship with India. Alumina and bauxite, gold and petroleum account for WA’s key merchandise exports to India with Western Australia exporting $2.6 billion of merchandise to India in 2018-19.

    The Premier’s visit to India follows recent visits by the State Government to the important trading partner, including by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia and Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery.

    As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:

    “Growing our State’s economy and creating local WA jobs will be the number one priority for this official visit to India.

    “India is a key trading partner with our State, and we expect that relationship to grow to the benefit of both India and Western Australia.

    “Adam Gilchrist will join me as ‘WA’s Opening Batsman’ to help promote our great State.

    “We know India loves their cricket and Gilly is a living legend over there, so he will be a major asset in promoting WA.

    “Visitor numbers are up so we know there is appetite for people in India to visit Western Australia and there are huge possibilities to grow this market even further.”

    As stated by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia:

    “Western Australia has so much to offer Indian travellers, whether they’re visiting for business, education or leisure.

    “We know they are interested in nature and wildlife, coastlines, beaches and marine wildlife, good food, wine, local cuisine and a family friendly destination – everything WA has to offer in spades.

    “Our capital city boasts some of the best hotels in Australia, an ever-growing restaurant and bar scene, thriving entertainment precincts and is a launch pad to a diverse range of stunning regional destinations.

    “India is a very important market and we will be focusing our efforts, through this new marketing investment, on further increasing visitation to WA in the lead-up to the India versus South Africa World Cup match at Perth Stadium.”

    As stated by Adam Gilchrist:

    “Western Australia is one of the most beautiful places on earth and I’m lucky to have called it home for more than 20 years.

    “I am happy to be working with Tourism WA to get the word out in India and encourage people to come and see our magnificent State.”

    /Public Release. View in full here.