Chinese celebrities to showcase Sydney and surrounds to millions in TV reality show

Images of some of NSW’s most popular attractions will be seen by more than 44 million Chinese television and online viewers after filming of the popular Chinese reality show Travel with Superstar takes place across Sydney and Regional NSW last week.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the activity supported by the State’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, will showcase Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Mudgee, Gunnedah, the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Port Macquarie to a massive audience across Mainland China.

“China is NSW’s largest inbound tourism market and we are delighted to be exposing Australia’s number one tourism and events State to potential Chinese visitors,” Mr Marshall said.

In the year ended December 2016, NSW welcomed more than 683,000 visitors from China who spent more than $2.7 billion in the State.

“We know Chinese visitors love what Sydney and rural and regional NSW has to offer, and this program will inspire even more visitors to come and see our world-famous attractions and landscapes,” Mr Marshall said.

Travel with Superstar, now in its third season, will follow two Chinese celebrities on a road trip from Sydney to Gunnedah and on to Port Macquarie. Sydney and NSW will feature in all 20 episodes of Travel with Superstar. The celebrities cast in the show will also post about their experiences on popular Chinese social media site Weibo. The celebrities boast 4.5 million followers between them.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said the show will be broadcast on the China Communication Television Broadcast Network (CCTBN) as well as 32 different online platforms.

“In every shot of every episode for the entire season, our attractions, our scenery, our natural wonders will be there, capturing the attention of viewers,” Ms Chipchase added.

The filming will begin in The Blue Mountains where the celebrities will visit Echo Point, Scenic World and experience the thrill of canyoning. The show will also feature Featherdale Wildlife park, as well as visits to wineries, museums, bee and deer farms, Indigenous cultural experiences, as well as a hot air balloon ride over the Hunter Valley.

Filming commenced on Saturday 25 March, with the 20 person crew and celebrities returning to China on Sunday 2 April.

Travel with Superstar is produced by Sue Grace Media Pty Ltd and is due to be broadcast in China in mid-April 2017.