South Australia aiming to increase Indian tourist arrivals by 10%

South Australia is looking at increasing Indian tourist arrivals by 10 percent in 2016-17, aided by its marketing and communication programmes. The fourth-largest state of Australia has also been named the global wine capital as it produces 60 percent of all Australian wines. Dana Urmonas, SATC (South Australia Tourism Commission) Regional Director, South East Asia and India, was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying that the state welcomed 10,000 Indian tourists for the year ending 31 March 2016. It is aiming to hike the numbers by 10 percent during the next year abetted by the current and future marketing and communication activities. According to Urmonas, arrivals from India have grown significantly in the last three years and they look forward to a steady growth. India was among the 15 top source markets for this state, according to her. Urmonas said that there was a major shift in the way Indians have been travelling. With the average Indian’s disposal income on the rise, South Australia is expecting the number of foreign arrivals to increase. India has been identified as a key growth market and the state is looking to tap its increasing outbound tourists, she added. Urmonas stated that she was sure of more Indian visitors visiting South Australia and hoped that it would be among the top 10 source markets in the next few years. Currently, its top five source markets are China, Germany, North America, New Zealand, Germany and the UK. While tourist arrivals from China have grown steeply in the last five years, the UK, New Zealand and North America are continuing to do well for South Australia, said Urmonas. SATC is targeting Indians primarily in the age group of 25-55 and their main target segments include leisure tourists, honeymoon couples and families and their major markets are Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, she said. South Australia’s chief attractions are shopping malls, large parks, friendly weather, wildlife destinations and any number of cafes and restaurants. Its capital, Adelaide, is a dream destination for family trips, claims Urmonas. During 2015-2017, SATC is said to have earmarked A$2 million towards promotional activities in India in order to partner with airlines, travel agents and consumer branding programmes. If South Australia appeals to you and you plan to head there, approach Y-Axis to file for a tourist visa from one of its 19 offices located in India’s eight major cities.