Ellen show boosts Sydney tourism 22%
The joint marketing campaign conducted by Destination NSW and Qantas to promote Sydney in the wake of US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres hosting her show there has yielded an immediate spike in visitors.
A Qantas A380 in bespoke Ellen livery
Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris said that promoting NSW through The Ellen DeGeneres Show increased visitor numbers to the state from the USA by 22%.
"The Qantas and Destination NSW campaign, Dance Your Way Down Under, increased inbound ticket sales from the USA to Sydney by 22 per cent compared to normal levels,2 he said.
“The campaign, which includes television commercials in Los Angeles and New York during screening of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has delivered immediate results for NSW and is a great return on investment in promoting our state to North American audiences."
The Ellen DeGeneres Show decamped to Australia for five days in assocaition with Swisse Wellness and Qantas.
"The campaign also features online marketing in the US and to date has delivered more than 62 million impressions on Qantas websites and almost 220,000 total sales leads for business and services throughout NSW,” Souris said.
"Visitors from the United States who booked their travel with Qantas via the Dance Your Way Down Under campaign plan to stay 12 nights on average, enjoying the best that NSW has to offer and contributing to the NSW Visitor Economy."
Says Sandra Chipchase, Destination NSW CEO aid: "This impressive return on investment for the Dance Your Way Down Under campaign is one of many great marketing, packaging and public relations tools, developed jointly by Destination NSW and Qantas.
"Destination NSW's three year partnership with Qantas will ensure that NSW is promoted to audiences in our key international markets, delivering economic benefits to tourism operators, services and the NSW economy."
Simon Hickey, CEO Qantas International said : “The exposure of Australia in the important US market has been outstanding and it is obvious that team from The Ellen DeGeneres Show really enjoyed their time and experiences. It also highlighted to American travellers that Australia is a great option for a relatively short break."