Half a million Indian visitors are expected to travel to Australia – the host nation of the ICC Women and Men’s T20 World Cup in 2020-21.

Recently in Mumbai Australia, host nation of the ICC T20 World Cups, has unveiled its latest India focused tourism campaign. In the run up to the next major global event in cricket, Tourism Australia’s call to ‘Experience the game and beyond’ is targeted at passionate Indian cricket fans, offering them a combined experience of world-class cricket and an unparalleled holiday experience. Following the phenomenal success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which was co-hosted by Australia and saw approximately 100,000 international visitors, this campaign is aimed at attracting a record number of visitors for the twin World Cups.

Conceptualised by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, the core idea of the campaign is to draw synergies between India’s most loved sport and signature Australian experiences that define the legendary ‘Australian way of life’, which includes food and drink, nature and wildlife, and aquatic and coastal experiences.

A new television and digital commercial has been produced by Infinity Squared Pvt. Ltd. as part of the campaign that features voice overs from renowned Indian cricket commentator and Friend of Australia ambassador Harsha Bhogle; Indian singer, actress and anchor Shibani Dandekar; and Australian former cricketer Brett Lee. The trio are heard commentating on what seems at first to be a cricket match but is in fact a beautiful showcase of Australia, with the footage taking the viewer on a journey to some of our country’s most iconic destinations.

The entire campaign will run across three stages, namely, Awareness, Consideration and Booking that is eventually intended to drive visitation to Australia during 2020 and beyond. In addition to the commercial, the campaign will also leverage multiple digital mediums to amplify communications. A mix of search, display, video, social, native, programmatic and content will be a part of the digital campaign. Content partnerships with broadcast and OTT platforms will also be leveraged as part of the campaign to showcase the destination through iconic cricketers from both countries like India’s Mithali Raj and Australia’s Brett Lee. The campaign will be amplified during the Australia tour of India in 2020 and the Australian Open 2020, as well as through public relations and international media hosting programs that will see influencers from different fields have a first-hand experience of the game and beyond.

Australia’s Minister for Tourism, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham recently announced additional funding of A$ 5 million for Tourism Australia to promote the upcoming ICC T20 Cricket World Cup to fans in India, with the aim of driving visitation to both the women’s and men’s tournaments as well as increasing Australia’s broader destination appeal in India.

ICC has appointed five Official Ticketing Agents and two sub-agents, including Bharat Army, Gainwell Sports, Fanatic Sports, Sports Konnect, Cutting Edge, PickYourTrail, and Medallin Sports to sell cricket packages in India.

“Australia and India have a strong bond through their shared love for cricket. While we have been witnessing impressive growth in terms of visitors and spend from India, the upcoming T20 World Cup provides us with a massive opportunity to take this to the next level. We look forward to welcoming our guests from India for an unforgettable cricket experience at our iconic stadiums and also giving them a flavor of our truly distinct way of life. As part of our plan to make this one of the largest sporting spectacles in the world, a range of offerings and packages are being introduced for travelers from India in partnership with the ICC, Official Ticketing Agents and our Key Distribution Partners.”, says Brent Anderson, Regional General Manager, South and South East Asia, Tourism Australia.

The women’s tournament will kick off on Friday 21 February when Australia take on India at Sydney Showground Stadium, with the final to be held on Sunday 8 March – International Women’s Day – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The women’s tournament presents an unparalleled opportunity to raise the profile of women’s sport as endorsed by ICC’s vision to set a new world record for the highest attendance at a women’s sporting fixture at the finals of the T20 World Cup on Sunday 8 March 2020, International Women’s Day.

The men’s tournament will run from 18 October to 15 November 2020, with the 45 matches expected to be broadcast to two billion people. The two tournaments will be contested across eight host cities: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

India is currently the fastest growing inbound market for Tourism Australia with five consecutive years of double-digit growth. The 2020 arrivals goal of 300,000 Indian visitors was achieved in December 2017, three years ahead of target date.

Elevating the distinct and defining character of Australia and of Australians, Tourism Australia launched a new three-year global campaign- ‘Come Live our Philausophy’ – which will invite the world Down Under to experience first-hand the Australian way of life.

A deliberately Australian play on words, Philausophy aims to capture the philosophy of Australians and their informal approach to living, which research shows is highly appealing amongst visitors.

Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said Tourism Australia’s latest global campaign strategy is part of a $38 million investment that will be rolled out in our 15 key tourism markets over the next three years to attract more international tourists Down Under.

“Our $143 billion tourism industry is such a vital part of our economy and in order to grow the industry further and create more tourism jobs, we need to find new ways to sell Australia and differentiate ourselves,” Minister Birmingham said.

“In such a competitive global market, the sell is tougher than ever. We need to stand out from the crowd and find a unique selling point that sets us apart from our competitors.

“Philausophy aims to do this by not only encouraging people to book a flight to Australia and visit our incredible destinations but go a step further and actually immerse themselves in the best of the Australian way of life.

“At its core, Philausophy, is about giving travelers from around the world a taste of what makes Australia such an enjoyable destination by shining a spotlight on the people, lifestyle and personality that make Australian experiences so memorable.

“Tourism Australia’s marketing campaigns have done a great job over the years of promoting our key destination strengths, from our spectacular coastal environments to our unique fauna and flora and our world class food and wine.

“We know the unique nature of Australia combined with the welcoming and fun-loving nature of Australians sets us apart, and it is this combination that will form a powerful platform for our next wave of exciting new campaigns.”

A suite of new creative assets have been developed for the Philausophy campaign, including over 5,000 new images captured across every state and territory, a series of industry videos, bespoke social content, a refresh of australia.com and Australia.cn, and a book featuring well-known Aussie icons who will have provided their own personal perspectives and experiences that help explain our unique Australian way of life.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said that Philausophy was all about elevating one of Australia’s greatest assets and something that we know people from around the world will travel to experience firsthand – its people.

“We know from our research that 70 per cent of international travelers believe that Australians have a different perspective on life; 79 per cent believe that the Australian people are an important part of the Australian lifestyle; and 82 per cent would like to travel to Australia to experience our lifestyle,” Ms Harrison said.

“The Australian character and way of life has long been woven into our marketing. The journey began with Paul Hogan and Come Say G’Day. In more recent times Chris Hemsworth, our global ambassador, has been integral in embodying the Australian character for our audiences. Dundee too was all about leaning into our personality. And promoting our people is at the core of our Friends of Australia advocacy program. Our new campaign will continue to build on this narrative by inviting the world to come and live our ‘philausophy’.”

“Philausophy will be brought to life by our industry, because who better to talk about the Australian way of life than the tourism operators who live it themselves every day. Not only will they be front and center in the campaign, but they will be pivotal in ensuring its success by continuing to be the face of our country’s tourism offering to international travelers.”

Speaking about his involvement in the new campaign, Australian actor and Global Ambassador for Tourism Australia, Chris Hemsworth said that Australians have something truly special to offer to the world.

“To say that Australians are laid back, outgoing, and have a great sense of humor would be both buying into widely known clichés and admitting an absolute truth. An incredible sense of adventure and an insistence on having a great time is truly born into our DNA,” Chris Hemsworth said.

Our new member offer a unique and diverse range of special interest travel experiences. There is so much diversity in India on offer. Venture from the foothills of the Himalayas to the deserts of Rajasthan; explore the backwaters of Kerala and all the fantastic vibrant cities in-between. Go wildlife spotting on safari, experience a luxury-tented camp or treat yourself to a wellness retreat. Immerse yourself in a vibrant, dynamic festival or indulge and relax on the tropical shores of Sri Lanka. There is so much to see on your escorted group tour, catered special interest or customised private tour just for you…. Luxury your way!

Founder Claudia Wolf has had a love affair with India for 30 years. Claudia has traveled extensively throughout the sub-continent and is now showcasing her knowledge and expertise with a range of uniquely crafted small group journeys and private touring options

Big boost for India’s travel and tourism sector! The country has moved up six places in the latest travel and tourism competitiveness index. The WEF report on Wednesday shows that India moved from its 40th rank to 34th rank on the world travel and tourism competitiveness index. Best of all, India accounts for a major chunk of South Asia’s travel and tourism GDP, making it one of the most competitive T&T-oriented economies in the sub-region itself. In contrast, the report states that Pakistan remains the least competitive country in South Asia in travel and tourism, including the region’s least favourable safety and security (134th) conditions.

Looking at India’s performance as per sub-regional perspective, the report indicates India has better air infrastructure, ground and port infrastructure, international openness and natural and cultural resources. However, India needs to enhance its enabling environment, tourist service infrastructure and environmental sustainability.

The report further noted that when making a comparison with global benchmarks, the country can further make improvements so as to add price competitiveness (13th) to its roster of strengths.

Notably, China is ranked as Eastern Asia-Pacific’s largest T&T economy, which accounts for more than one-half of the sub-region’s T&T GDP. China also has the index’s best score for the Natural and Cultural resources sub-index but faces hurdles on Environmental Sustainability (120th). Several red flags have been raised such as very high air pollution, deforestation, endangered wildlife, depleting water resources and continued insufficient wastewater treatment.

Interestingly, Bangladesh indicated the greatest percentage increase in T&T competitiveness in the world. The country has moved up five places in the rankings. For Bangladesh, the most significant improvement came from safety and security (123rd to 105th), which had been a major concern in previous years.

Here are some more interesting observations as per the WEF report on travel and tourism competitiveness index 2019:

• Japan remains the top scorer at rank 4th.
• Mongolia indicated the greatest improvement in score by percentage but also remains the sub-region’s least competitive country.
• Taiwan has the sub-region’s largest decline in terms of competitiveness. This is due to tightened visa requirements.
• According to the WEF report, the world’s most travel-ready nations are Spain, France, Germany and the US.

It’s reported that Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Air India have signed a MoU with a common objective of promoting Tourism to India. Air India offices abroad will function as extended arms of Ministry of Tourism. The MoU was recently signed by Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and MD Silva, General Manager (Sales & Marketing), Air India.

It was reported that eight overseas destinations would shift to Air India offices. Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and MOT were in discussions for the partnership, as part of the cost restructuring by the ministry, under which it will require to shut offices at prime tourist destinations, like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Toronto, Tokyo, Sydney and Milan. As part of the arrangement, India Tourism will pay rent to Air India along with a nominal amount for the service rendered by the Air India staff.

A range of new tourism products and experiences have been developed in the Northern Territory’s Top End following the announcement that renowned international artist, Bruce Munro, will open his world first city-wide exhibition, Bruce Munro: Tropical Light, in Darwin on 1 November.

The products, designed specifically around the exhibition, include everything from five-star dining at acclaimed Darwin restaurant, Char, to Tropical Nights at Crocosaurus Cove – one of Darwin’s most popular tourist attractions.

Bruce Munro: Tropical Light, a free to the public, outdoor art exhibition in Darwin, opens on 1 November 2019 until 30 April 2020 – the entire duration of the tropical summer season.

The flagship event of India Tourism – India Tourism Mart (ITM) was held from 23-25 September at the Ashok Hotel in New Delhi. This event, focused very much on B2B business had over 240 delegates from 51 countries including Australia dealt with over 160 Indian sellers with a firm interest in selling Indian Tourism products in their countries and seeking partnerships with Indian travel trade. After the event there were FAM trips to various parts of India to get overseas delegates a taste of what India has in the menu. The Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways & Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,  Nitin Gadkari and the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the mega event organized jointly by The Ministry of Tourism and the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) .

This is the second edition of the Mart being organized on lines of major international travel marts held annually in countries across the world. The Mart will provide a platform at the national level for trade and hospitality service providers in the country to interact and conduct business with their counterparts from overseas

The GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council, led by India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman recently revised the tax rate of the hotels with room tariff of INR 7,500 and above at 18 per cent instead of the earlier 28 per cent. While, the rooms with tariff between INR1000 to INR7500 will attract a GST of 12 per cent there will be no GST on room tariff up to INR1000.

Australia Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has called on airlines to start direct flights to India to further tap into expanding visitor numbers from the country. India is the fastest-growing inbound tourism market for Australia, however, according to Birmingham, a lack of direct flights threatens to curb growth. “Australia is seeing double-digit growth year-on-year from India,” Birmingham told the World Routes Conference in Adelaide on Sun. However, he explained that “90% travel through other ports to get to Australia and that clearly shows we are under-serviced in terms of direct flights”.

This adds time and cost to travel, which he said was a disincentive for Australia’s eighth largest inbound market. “We project Indian tourism will continue to grow in the future and that’s why we’re growing the marketing and investing, for example in the T20 World Cup advertising campaign.” In a release, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Tourism, threw its weight behind the Government’s focus on the Indian visitor economy. “Efficient and fast visa processing is another factor that drives greater visitation and the Government has made headway with the introduction of online visa applications for Indian visitors,” said Executive Chair John Hart

Recently 59 Students with 4 teachers and 2 parents visited India – the land of Mathematics – the land which gave the world the concept of zero – for 8 days on what’s titled as a Maths Tour. During this journey, students rediscover secrets of Indian ancestors who built mega buildings with precision without any Hi-Tech instruments with precision.

Tour highlight was visiting village Sihali (day excursions from Delhi), where they were warmly welcomed by students and teachers of St. Mary’s Gajurala School and a cultural program was organised (dance, song and ice-breaking activities, followed with few Vedic maths technics). Students were welcomed at a farmhouse in Sihali, where they played cricket, badminton, and local village games with local kids. They were taught shapes and 3D by Ms. Fozia Qazi with the help of village potter as he demonstrated pottery making to the group. Group also enjoyed bullock cart in the village and danced with local folk dancers. Group also discussed with local students climate change.

A playful method was created for students through simple games which today has found an important place as ‘game theory’ in higher studies. Idea was to draw on the strengths of each student in problem solving and exploring different pathways to solve particular problems.

This tour was planned by Secrets of India (www.secretsofindia.in) – an expert inbound tour operator.