One of South Korea's leading broadcast stations, Seoul Broadcast System, will begin production later this year for a new reality TV series set to follow five South Korean celebrities as they explore the Gold Coast and wider Queensland.
The program, titled Bucket List Travel to Australia, will showcase to South Koreans everything from Gold Coast's 52-kilometres of beaches and Wonder Reef to World Heritage-listed rainforest, native wildlife, and a plethora of unique tourism experiences.
Bucket List Travel to Australia will air in a prime-time slot in South Korea later this year and is expected to generate more than $40 million in publicity to profile Queensland destinations.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O'Callaghan says South Korea has always been an important market for the Gold Coast.
"Pre-COVID, South Korea was our sixth largest market for international holiday visitors and we saw steady loads when Jetstar commenced direct services between Seoul and Gold Coast," says Ms O'Callaghan.
"We know South Koreans have an affinity with nature, blue skies, and a relaxed lifestyle which are all attributes of a Gold Coast holiday.
"The reality TV series will not only showcase the breadth and depth of what's on offer for South Koreans in the Sunshine State after two years of border closures but help to keep the Gold Coast top-of-mind for future travel considerations."
Destined to be a reality TV fan favourite, renowned producer, Mr Jiwon Lee, will be at the helm and has produced Law of the Jungle, which has become one of South Korea's most popular and long-running reality documentaries series.
Approximately 34,000 Koreans visited the Gold Coast in 2019 and spent almost 280,000 nights at the destination.
The announcement comes as Destination Gold Coast joins "Team Queensland" – Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) and Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) – for a five-day tourism mission in South Korea and Japan, meeting with airlines and trade partners to reacquaint them with the Gold Coast.
Destination Gold Coast partnered with TEQ, Tourism Australia, BEDA and TTNQ to secure the series.
