PROMOTING NSW IN INDIA: BIGGEST TRAVEL TRADE DELEGATION ARRIVES IN SYDNEY TO EXPERIENCE JHAPPI TIME

The biggest travel trade delegation from India has arrived in NSW to take a tour of destinations featured in the successful Jhappi Time tourism campaign first-hand. NSW Premier Mike Baird said 30 travel agents and wholesalers are taking part in the Focus on India familiarisation tour of Sydney and regional NSW between Sunday 8 February and Friday 13 February 2015.

“Last month I launched the second phase of the successful Jhappi Time campaign in Mumbai during my first visit to India, at an event attended by some of the travel agents and wholesalers taking part in Focus on India,” Mr Baird said. “The NSW Government is focussed on increasing the number of Indian visitors and tourists to the State and I’d like to welcome this delegation to NSW. “

The Jhappi Time online marketing campaign was created by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and aired in India last year.

“More than 86,000 visitors from India arrived in the year ending September 2014 – a 13 per cent increase on the previous year. Those who travelled on Jhappi Time travel packages added $6.3 million in visitor expenditure to the NSW economy.
“The initial campaign was a great success and the Jhappi Time ads will now air on Indian television, offering Indian travellers special airfares to travel to Sydney and NSW with Singapore Airlines from February to November 2015.

“This second phase of the marketing campaign will assist the NSW Government in reaching its goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020. “The Jhappi Time campaign is resonating well in the Indian market and we’ll continue working with our Indian friends to promote NSW and attract more visitors to the State,” Mr Baird said.

Minister for Regional Tourism and Member for Monaro John Barilaro said the Jhappi Time campaign was encouraging Indian travellers to explore regional NSW. “Jhappi Time’s success means more people in India are asking travel agents about the regional locations featured in the commercials, including the Snowy Mountains, Blue Mountains, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley,”

Mr Barilaro said. “We’ll take the delegation to these areas and others to show them the natural beauty of regional NSW so they can share their personal experiences with their clients back at home. “We are continuing to work with travel agents and wholesalers from India and around the world to develop itineraries that showcase regional NSW.”