Call for Australia to woo Bollywood

Call for Australia to woo Bollywood
By admin


Australia needs to attract more Bollywood film productions if it is to win over the Indian and Middle Eastern markets, tourism operators have insisted.

While New Zealand has prospered on the back of Bollywood movies, Australia has missed the boat, Indian outbound operator Saltours International said.

Rajesh Nambiar, Saltours international executive vice president told Travel Today he had seen sales of New Zealand product soar on the back of a number of Bollywood movies.

“They really promoted New Zealand as a destination,’ he said. “Australia needs to do more with Bollywood.”

While Sydney and Melbourne had featured in Bollywood movies in the past, little had been down in other parts of the country, such as Darwin, thereby hindering demand, according to Nambiar.

Managing director of Dubai-based Connect World, Justin Jacob, said the issue was also affecting numbers from the Middle East.

“India has a lot of influence with Arabs,” he said. “Particularly Bollywood.”

Spain had seen traffic from both markets triple in the wake of Bollywood offering Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You Only Live Once), they added.

Meanwhile, Tourism Australia said it did not have a budget for attracting Bollywood productions, claiming “there are more Bollywood flops than successes”.

“That’s why our own recent approach has been to support more established TV dramas,” the tourism body said.

It’s most recent TV venture was Bade Achhe Lagte Hain (I Love Him a Lot) which aired in November 2011.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

india

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]