NSW Premier visits India to promote ‘Jhappi Time’

The Premier of New South Wales (NSW), Mike Baird, has travelled to India as part of a major promotional drive intended to attract more Indian visitors to the Australian state.

Last year NSW launched a new Indian online marketing campaign, ‘Jhappi Time’, to entice more Indian travellers to Sydney and regional NSW. And this initiative will now be expanded to television screens across India, while a new partnership has also been formed with Singapore Airlines to offer special fares between India and Sydney.

“The Jhappi Time online marketing campaign, created by… Destination NSW, started in India early last year and helped contribute to a 21% increase in Indian visitor arrivals to NSW for the year ending August 2014,” Baird revealed during his visit to Mumbai.

“More than 86,500 visitors from India arrived in NSW in the year ending September 2014. Those who travelled on Jhappi Time packages added AU$6.3 million (US$5.1m) in visitor expenditure to the NSW economy.

“To capitalise on the success of the campaign the NSW government has secured its first airline campaign partner to expand the campaign onto Indian television.

“Jhappi Time ads will now hit Indian television screens across the country, offering Indian travellers special airfares to travel to Sydney and NSW with Singapore Airlines from February to November 2015,” he added.

In addition, NSW is inviting Indian agents to take part in a fam tour of the state from 8-13 February 2015. This will include visits to regional NSW locations, including the Blue Mountains, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley. They will also have the opportunity to attend a Cricket World Cup warm-up match in Sydney.

“The Jhappi Time campaign is resonating well in the Indian market and we will continue working with our Indian friends to promote NSW and attract more visitors to the State,” Baird concluded.