SIA and Victoria shake hands on S$1 million deal to boost tourist numbers

Singapore - Singapore Airlines and Australia's state of Victoria have signed a two year S$1 million tourism promotion agreement in a bid to market Victoria as a destination to major Asian markets.

Apart from Singapore, the deal involves both parties cooperatively funding programmes to attract tourists from countries such as China, Japan and India, to the Australian state.

Tim Holding, the Victorian minister for tourism said the agreement was part of the State Government's long term plans to grow international tourism as "the cooperative marketing partnership will help to reach new and existing audiences".

"Over the next two years, a series of focused campaigns will be developed to increase Victoria's profile as a holiday destination in the key Asian cities Singapore Airlines flies from," Holding said in a statement.

Stephen Forshaw, Singapore Airlines VP of Public Affairs said while the specifics of what will be done in the campaign will be worked out between both parties, joint activities of the campaign would include elements such as joint roadshows in selected markets, familiarisations for consumer, trade, and media agents from priority markets to Victoria, and exposure to Victoria in SIA proprietary media and the airline's services and network in Tourism Victoria's proprietary media.

On creative and media duties, Forshaw said "the matter of responsibility for collateral development and buying will be discussed on a case-by-case basis between the parties".  "The bulk of this commitment comes about through our own proprietary channels to communicate with agents, and joint promotions.  In many cases with similar arrangements, we leverage the campaigns being conducted by using the destination collateral and co-branding it," Forshaw said.