Tourism Australia wins wine deal

Tourism Australia have announced a new three year marketing deal with Wine Australia aimed at luring tourists from the UK, the US, Canada and China to the vineyards and wineries across Australia.

Australia visa

Australia Tourism and Wine will join forces to promote the nation's viticulture industry.

Andrew McEvoy, managing director of Tourism Australia, said the country was renowned for its wine and the national agency would work alongside brands such as Jacobs Creek and Penfolds to promote the industry.

"Every bottle of wine that goes overseas is like a liquid postcard for Australia," said Mr McEvoy.

"In China, you say wine and they say Penfolds."

Despite a reputation among wine drinkers for some of the best vintages available, a recent survey by Futurebrand showed Australia ranked top in the world for beautiful beaches but not even in the top 10 for wines; a statistic Mr McEvoy says is due to a lack of promotion.

"The gap between what people think it's like and what it is actually like is a marketing opportunity.

"One thing Wine Australia brings is eight to 10 companies who export over 90% of Australian wine."

Mr McEvoy said areas such as the Barossa Valley in South Australia, Hunter Valley in New South Wales and Yarrey Valley in Victoria would be promoted in the new deal but the benefits would not stop there.

"Regional areas can especially benefit from the tourism opportunities offered by Australia's wine experiences, especially when matched with our fine food offering."

Many of Australia's best wine regions are also popular tourism destinations and the two industries together contribute AU$140 billion (£90 billion) a year to the Australian economy.

The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications with the Australian Embassy.