The Gold Coast has been announced as the host destination for a new South Korean reality TV series following five celebrities as they explore the Glitter Strip and travel around Queensland, which is likely to provide a significant tourism boost to the local economy.
‘Bucket List Travel to Australia’, which will be aired in a prime spot in the East Asian country, will showcase the best of what the Sunshine State has to offer as the five South Korean stars engage in a plethora of unique tourism experiences up and down the coast.
The Gold Coast’s 57 kilometres of beaches and Wonder Reef will likely feature prominently, as will the World Heritage-listed rainforest, with the show expected to generate publicity to the tune of more than $40 million.
“Pre-COVID, South Korea was our sixth largest market for international holiday visitors, and we saw steady loads when Jetstar commenced direct services between Seoul and Gold Coast,” Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said.
“We know South Koreans have an affinity with nature, blue skies, and a relaxed lifestyle which are all attributes of a Gold Coast holiday.
“The reality TV series will not only showcase the breadth and depth of what’s on offer for South Koreans in the Sunshine State after two years of border closures but help to keep the Gold Coast top-of-mind for future travel considerations.”
The series, which will be broadcast by one of South Korea’s leading TV stations Seoul Broadcast System, will begin filming later this year.
It will be made by the renowned producer Jiwon Lee, whose previous work includes ‘Law of the Jungle’ – which has become one of South Korea’s most popular and long-running reality documentary series.
According to Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), 72,000 people visited Queensland from South Korea in the year ending March 2020, spending a total of $234.8 million (an average of $3,265 per person). Approximately 34,000 Koreans visited the Gold Coast specifically.
Of those who visited Queensland, three-quarters of arrivals came for a holiday, while 62 per cent of all visitors had never been to the Sunshine State before.
The announcement comes as Destination Gold Coast joins “Team Queensland” – Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) and Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) – for a five-day tourism mission in South Korea and Japan, meeting with airlines and trade partners to reacquaint them with the Gold Coast.
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