Irwins attract Yanks down under
Thursday, 25 January 2007

GOOD ONYA: The Irwins, Terri and Bindi have geen credited with boosting US visitor numbers to Australia.
BRISBANE: Qantas has recorded its second highest US sales week in history in the wake of this year's successful G'Day USA promotion.
Industry experts believe it's largely because of one khaki-wearing, crocodile-wrestling family.
"The Irwin family are very well known and loved in the States and as such are perfect ambassadors to promote how wonderful Australia is," managing director of Tourism and Transport Forum Australia Christopher Brown said today.
"The level of interest in the Irwin family in recent weeks is a credit to Steve Irwin and the important role that he played in promoting Australia in the US over many, many years."
Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey said Terri Irwin and her daughter Bindi had been "delightful" while in the US, and had done Australia proud.
"There's nothing they can't do at the moment," she said.
Qantas has not yet released the number of bookings from the US to Australia, but has confirmed the record sales were made during the final week of the G'Day USA tour, which ended on January 22.
The airline also had to put on an additional 6000 seats to cope with the growing demand.
Ms Bailey has hailed the event a success, and said hits to the Australia.com web site reached an all-time high during the G'Day USA promotion, and are already up 30 percent on last year.
"G'Day USA has been a tremendous success ... Americans are talking about Australia like never before," Ms Bailey said.
"The Qantas sales results are particularly encouraging, which will help create even more jobs for our $A75 billion ($NZ85 billion) tourism industry."
Mr Brown said he was not surprised at the success of this year's event, which also featured the kings of kids entertainment, The Wiggles.
"G'Day LA has historically proven to be significant in increasing the knowledge of Australia as a holiday destination in the US (and) this year's G'Day LA and New York were no exception, gaining extensive media coverage," he said.
"Events such as G'Day LA and New York not only give people the aspiration to come to Australia, but as we have seen with the increase in Qantas bookings, people do book to come.
"These sales so soon after the event bode well for visitation to Australia from the US in the coming year."
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, who died in September after being pierced in the heart by a stingray barb, was to have made his third G'Day USA trip.
His wife and daughter took on the promotional role, proving a hit on US TV talk shows.