Annual Report 2010-2011 - Tourism Australia

Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure
Advocacy is a vital element of the There’s Nothing Like
Australia campaign, and Oprah Winfrey, one of the world’s
most influential people, was identified as an ideal advocate
to tell the world why there really is nothing like Australia.
Broadcast in 145 countries and reaching more than
40 million viewers a week in the USA alone, at its peak, The
Oprah Winfrey Show had 4.9 million fans on Facebook and
5.2 million followers on Twitter. Recognising her immensely
powerful influence, Tourism Australia invited Oprah and
302 members of her audience, plus 200 crew members, to
Australia for the adventure of a lifetime.
Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure raised considerable
awareness of Australia as a destination and is forecast to
have a positive impact on visitor arrivals over time.
Experiencing the Australian way of life
Over a week in December 2010, Oprah, her audience and
crew travelled to some of Australia’s most stunning sites,
including the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree National Park,
Kangaroo Island, Phillip Island, Uluru, the Blue Mountains,
Byron Bay, Canberra, Margaret River, Tasmania and the
Hunter, Yarra and Barossa valleys.
At every location, cameras were on hand to record their
experiences, culminating in four one-hour episodes known
as Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure. Two lead-up
special episodes and a two-part behind-the-scenes
documentary were also aired.
40 million-strong audience in North America
Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure, plus the
announcement and lead-up special episodes, aired to
around 40 million people in the USA and Canada, and
ultimately 145 countries around the world. In Australia,
Channel 10 broadcast Oprah’s Ultimate Australian
Adventure episodes in primetime, with the first episode
attracting 2.3 million viewers and a 46 per cent share of
25–49 year olds.
Since its announcement in September 2010, Oprah’s
visit to Australia has generated more than 86,000 media
articles across the world, with an estimated equivalent
advertising value of $368 million.
Commercial partners, including airlines, wholesale and
retail agents, reported strong rises in enquiries, quotes
and bookings following the screening of Oprah’s Ultimate
Australian Adventure, with a survey of USA Aussie Specialist
agents showing that 86 per cent agree that the Oprah
shows did a good job presenting Australia as a tourism
destination. Fifty-nine per cent of premier agents agree the
shows have already had a positive impact on their business;
and 74 per cent of agents have seen an increase in Australia
enquiries in January 2011 compared with January 2010.
Broadcast in 145 countries and reaching
more than 40 million viewers a week in the
USA alone, at its peak, The Oprah Winfrey
Show had 4.9 million fans on Facebook and
5.2 million followers on Twitter.
Research carried out by Repucom International in March
2011 shows that 76 per cent of respondents were aware of
Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure; of those aware of
Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure, 74 per cent agreed
that Australia is “worth travelling to” and 61 per cent
claimed to have explored Australian holiday options after
the airing of Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure.
Copyright: All Rights Reserved/George Burns/Harpo, Inc.
Tourism Australia’s Brand Health Monitor research in June
2011 found that 66 per cent of those aware of Oprah’s
visit to Australia agreed that her visit made you want to
find out more about an Australia holiday; 58 per cent were
likely to prefer Australia as a holiday destination over other
international destinations; and 56 per cent agreed that her
visit made you want to visit Australia in the next 12 months.
Oprah with Elvis the Koala, Hamilton Island, Queensland.
16 Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure