Oprah effect pays off with tourism rise

Destinations visited by Oprah Winfrey have reported a boost in numbers. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Daily Telegraph

OPRAH Winfrey's visit to Australia is finally paying off, with the growth in American tourists at its highest level since the Sydney Olympics.

After a drop last year - attributed to the global financial crisis - the number of US visitors rose nearly four per cent to around 472,000 people in the year to October.

The record for American tourists was 480,000 in 2000, which was nearly 18 per cent higher than the year before, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

"You do these things and you want them to have an impact but we have to give them time,'' Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said.

"It's never one thing but we said at the time this was about the time frame it would take for people to fall in love with the idea of a trip, plan a trip, convince their friends and family and book a trip.

American guests are flocking to the luxurious qualia resort on Hamilton Island, where Oprah Winfrey stayed during her Australian visit.

"It's not just Oprah though, I think the marketing the state tourism organisations have done with us and the airlines has also helped.''

Destinations visited by Oprah have also reported a boost in numbers.

Ayers Rock Resort, which has also just seen the completion of the $30 million refurbishment of its Sails in the Desert hotel and conference centre, Uluru Meeting Place, has seen 26 per cent rise in the number of US visitors so far this financial year.

"We thought that we would get an i! ncrease but the extent surprised us,'' Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia sales, marketing and distribution executive general manager Ray Stone said.

Hamilton Island spokeswoman Sophie Baker said US visitors at the luxury resort qualia, where Oprah stayed, were up 10 per cent last financial year and on track to be up 20 per cent this financial year.

"When you're chatting to American guests they ask about where Oprah visited and try to recreate what she did,'' she said.

"They will go to the Wildlife Park and want to hold the koala that Oprah held.''

Oprah visited Australia in December 2010 and four shows were broadcast in the US the following month before being repeated in March.

A survey of 500 US travellers last October found 73 per cent had visited recently or booked a trip in the coming year had been influenced by Oprah.

Overall, Australia welcomed a three per cent growth in international visitors in the year til October.

The biggest growth continued to be from China at 16 per cent followed by Russia at 15 per cent and the United Arab Emirates at 13 per cent, according to the ABS arrivals and departures figures for the year until October.

While Tourism Australia launched its latest campaign in China earlier this year, Mr Mc Evoy said the US remained a key focus as part of a balanced portfolio approach to its international marketing activities.

The biggest falls in visitors came from Israel at 18 per cent, Brunei at 16 per cent and New Caledonia which fell nearly nine per cent.