South Australia’s new tourism campaign launches as industry hits $9.9 billion record-breaking year

South Australia’s new tourism campaign will hit television screens for the first time this weekend, when it airs during the broadcast of the AFL Grand Final targeting the state’s biggest interstate market.
 
The new campaign launched today on the back of record new data released by Tourism Research Australia this week showing total visitor expenditure in South Australia in the 12 months to June 2023 hit $9.9 billion – a new all-time high for the state.
 
Featuring some of the state’s tourism icons, the new campaign calls on visitors to ‘Travel Our Way’ – an appeal to both come to South Australia and to experience a uniquely South Australian way of travelling.
 
The high-impact television commercial (TVC) features destinations and experiences that are distinctive to the state and is backed by the worldwide hit and Australian chart topper ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ by Lenny Kravitz.
 
Travel Our Way showcases some of South Australia’s most unique tourism offerings including shark cage diving in Port Lincoln – the only place in Australia where a visitor can have this experience, heli-camping at Rawnsley Park Station, the iconic Prairie Hotel in the Flinders Ranges & Outback, and the vast coastlines of Yorke Peninsula.
 
The $8.35 million campaign launches off the back of strong momentum in tourism in South Australia and increased national attention, boosted by Australian-first new major events like the AFL Gather Round and LIV Golf Adelaide.
 
Travel Our Way aims to drive domestic visitation and expenditure, with an emphasis on the state’s three biggest markets – Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia – together worth more than $7.9 billion to the state.
 
Delivering on its election commitment, the State Government contracted a South Australian advertising agency to produce the campaign. Adelaide based Fuller Brand Communication was awarded the project, following a procurement process involving the new Creative Services panel announced in April.
 
Travel Our Way is being launched across TV, outdoor and cinema, as well as digital and social media.
 
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said strong growth in interstate and international expenditure over the year helped drive the state’s visitor economy from $6.1 billion at June 2022 to the current level of $9.9 billion, an increase of $3.8 billion in just 12 months.
 
"International expenditure in the state increased by 24 per cent in the last quarter alone, and is now worth $1 billion, just shy of its pre pandemic $1.2 billion," Minister Bettison said.
 
"There is huge competition across the states and territories to get a bigger slice of the tourism pie.   
 
"As a State Government, we are focused on growing tourism and making sure South Australia is front and centre for Australians considering a holiday.
 
"Travel Our Way will capitalise on the positive energy and great momentum we’ve seen in South Australia over the past 18 months and the increased attention we’ve got from interstate thanks to our hugely popular new major events. 
 
"This campaign aims to stand out in an incredibly competitive market to get Australians to Travel Our Way and continue to build on our state’s strong momentum which has seen visitor expenditure in South Australia hit a record-high $9.9 billion. 
 
"On the back of our government’s commitment, I am also really pleased that this new campaign is produced by a South Australian agency, for South Australia."
 
South Australian Tourism Commission CEO, Emma Terry said Travel Our Way is a strong call-to-action to visitors across the nation to both travel to South Australia and to experience a uniquely South Australian holiday. 
 
"Over the past nine months, I’ve been out across the state meeting with operators and seeing firsthand what they have to offer," Ms Terry said. 
 
"Our objective for this campaign was to capture some of these world-class offerings and the feeling you get from holidaying in South Australia; whether you are soaking up the atmosphere at an event or festival, discovering wildlife in their natural habitat, enjoying incredible food, or just relaxing with family and friends.  
 
"Australians are spoilt for choice when it comes to potential destinations to visit; this campaign is designed to cut through and inspire them to Travel Our Way."
 
Fuller Brand Communication Managing Director, Will Fuller, Managing Director said as an independent, family-owned creative agency that was founded in regional South Australia, it was exciting to have the opportunity to work with the SATC on the state’s tourism campaign and wanted it to feel authentic, honest and unashamedly ‘Our Way’.
 
"We are a destination that has always offered experiences that are real, raw and rugged. But the success of recent major events has also given our people a newfound confidence and an energy that we wanted to capture and share with the rest of the world," Mr Fuller said.
 
"Our predominantly local creative team, including cast and crew, traversed the state to capture unique and truly memorable South Australian moments; diving with sea lions off Eyre, camping in the Flinders, and a beach party at the shack on the Yorke Peninsula.
 
"By engaging renowned director Mark Webber, Travel Our Way is designed to feel like a movie trailer for our state, leaving the viewer wanting to make the trip to see the real thing."
 
Rawnsley Park Station Director, Tony Smith said the domestic market is incredibly important to places like the Flinders Ranges and Outback, it is the core market, a major part of its customer base.
 
"We hear from domestic travellers that they love the South Australian outback because it is so accessible from Adelaide relative to other outback regions around the country and it is so unique," Mr Smith said.
 
"To be featured in South Australia’s new domestic tourism campaign is a wonderful boost and will help us as we work to continually improve our offering and infrastructure and support the people who help run our business. 
 
"We look forward to having extra eyes on our state’s outback and getting South Australia’s fair share of the domestic market."