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South Australian Tourism Commission: International Superstar Invites Chinese To Visit South Australi

Direct News Source

05-Dec-2017 International Superstar Invites Chinese To Visit South Australia

Leon Bignell MP
Minister for Tourism

McLaren Vale, Kangaroo Island and South Australia's premium food and wine are about to be showcased throughout China in our biggest ever campaign into our fastest-growing market.

Chinese superstar, actor and singer Huang Xiaoming has been announced as South Australia's tourism ambassador, promoting the state to millions across China.

Mr Huang made the announcement at a press conference to media and trade in Beijing, China, following a visit to South Australia last month.

Iconic images of South Australia along with footage featuring Mr Huang will showcase a diverse range of experiences in Adelaide and the regions, including the Adelaide Oval Roof Climb, swimming with sea-lions on Eyre Peninsula and enjoying South Australia's clean, fresh produce and seafood.

Mr Huang will share his experiences with his 53 million followers on social media during the coming year.

South Australia has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Chinese visitors - jumping 56 percent to 56,000 in the past year. This is off the back of the State Government working with Adelaide Airport and China Southern to attract direct flights from Guangzhou, China, into Adelaide.

Background
International tourism is booming in South Australia with expenditure passing the billion dollar mark for the first time earlier this year. Chinese tourism is the top driver of growth, expenditure up 74 per cent to $352 million in the past year.

The State Government has invested an additional $70 million in tourism funding to market South Australia nationally and internationally and attract major events and conferences.

Mr Huang has been listed in Forbes China Celebrity list for 12 consecutive years, also ranking as China's number one male celebrity four years in a row. Mr Huang represents global brands like Tissot in China and has an extensive following on Chinese social media platforms, Weibo and WeChat, reaching more than 53 million followers.

Quotes attributable to Tourism Minister Leon Bignell
Mr Huang is a genuine and passionate advocate for South Australia, and having him as our ambassador in China is a massive win for our State.

It was terrific to spend time with Mr Huang in McLaren Vale last month. While most South Australians haven't heard of him until now, he is one of the world's biggest celebrities who gets mobbed by fans in his home country and has tens of millions of followers.

He won't promote anything that isn't a premium brand and that's why he signed up to be an Ambassador for South Australia. With China Southern introducing two additional flights a week to Adelaide we will soon be seeing even more high-end visitors touching down in Adelaide to discover Mr Huang's SA.

Not only will it lead to greater awareness of South Australia in China, but it also supports the wine industry strategy to drive international visitors to wine regions by tapping into China's social media networks and promoting Adelaide as the 'Wine Capital of Australia' with more than 200 cellar doors located within an hour of the city.

China is our largest market by spend, pumping $352 million into our visitor economy in the past year. Demonstrating our marketing investment in China and securing the new direct flights to Adelaide by China Southern is paying off.

Quotes attributable to Huang Xiaoming
I am delighted to be the ambassador for South Australia. I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful State in November and really enjoyed my time there.

South Australia is a place where you can enjoy breath-taking natural scenery, meet the local wildlife, and experience world-class vineyards and food to enjoy the best of Australia.