South Australia Tourism saw Indian arrivals increase by 15-20 percent in the last one year and was feeling upbeat about their surging interest to visit Adelaide and the Kangaroo Islands.
Vinod Advani, South Australian Tourism Trade Ambassador, was quoted by travelbizmonitor. com as saying that the last one year has seen increased awareness about what South Australia offers. Kangaroo Island has evolved into one of the most popular and attractive destinations in Australia, he said. Advani said that many people arriving in Adelaide want to head to Kangaroo Island.
He said there has been an overall rise in spending and overnight stays in South Australia. Its wildlife experience has caught the attention of Indian travellers. Adding that open wildlife experiences are offered in Kangaroo Island, Advani said the animals are not tamed or caged while humans interact with them. He said that people could swim alongside wild dolphins and kangaroos could be fed in their natural habitats. In addition, nightlife and cuisines of Adelaide are also catching the tourists fancy. He said that Adelaide and Kangaroo Island have come of age as Australia’s tourist destinations.
On the priority list of South Australia Tourism Board, Kangaroo Island is said to be receiving most of its Indian tourists from the VFR (Visiting friends and relatives) and student segments who usually spend two to three nights at the island. Endorsing Advani’s views, Kylie Bamfield, Tourism Kangaroo Island’s Regional Tourism Manager, said that Kangaroo Island has become the fourth must-do destination in Oz. Saying that they have offerings all through the year; Bamfield said that international travellers make up 40 percent of their arrivals. Until now the US, the UK and Europe have been their most popular source markets, but the last few years have seen the Indian numbers visiting Kangaroo Islands swell.
Craig Wickham, the managing director of Exceptional Kangaroo Island, said that India was a respected market for them. They have been focusing on this market through popular Indian television show, ‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’, which was recently said to have been shot on that island. They said that social media platform have also helped them promote the islands. The Kangarooisland. com website is said to contain informational videos and other educational material about the island. Wickham said that they were also working towards boosting self-drive from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island. He added that it was a boutique destination delivering customised leisure travel experience throughout the year.
Laura Robinson, Adelaide Oval SMA Ltd, Tourism Manager said that they offer the roof climb tour of the renowned Oval cricket ground, through which one can have a magnificent landscape view of the city of Adelaide. The tour, lasting for two to three hours, also allows tourists a glimpse of the changing room of players and an opportunity to view the collections of Sir Don Bradman that are within the stadium. The top source markets for them are the UK and India. FITS (Free Independent Tourists) and groups ranging from 200 to 300 visit them, she said. Robinson said that she was expecting more travellers to visit them as Oval would be playing the host to Ashes test match and day & night test matches in 2017.
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