The Gold Coast is set for a whole lot of love - of the tourist dollar kind - after wooing The Bachelor USA to her glittering shores.
Bachelor Peter Weber - a.k.a. 'Pilot Pete' - and his last two ladies standing secretly filmed the preliminary series finale in Australia for the first time last November.
More than 16 million Americans will tune in to watch Peter cross the Atlantic Ocean for Australia in the pursuit of love.
Estimated to be worth more than $43 million in media exposure for the Gold Coast, Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista is thrilled with the opportunity.
"We are delighted the Gold Coast was selected to host the preliminary series finale of The Bachelor USA. It's an incredible chance to show what the Gold Coast has to offer to the lucrative North American market," says Ms Battista. "The publicity leveraged from the episode will increase awareness of the Gold Coast as a must-visit destination for high-spending American travellers considering Australia for their next holiday."
And where better for love to blossom than the Gold Coast with its diverse
blend of thrill-seeking, romantic and relaxing experiences?
"The show's viewers are sophisticated and love to travel, which opens up the Gold Coast to a new market of would-be US travellers, who will now have the Coast on their travel radar," adds Ms Battista. "The Gold Coast's iconic coastline stretches across pristine beaches through to breathtaking lush rainforest against a metropolitan backdrop."
Making the most of the opportunity, Destination Gold Coast has crafted
romance-inspired itineraries based on The Bachelor's date experiences
showcased during episode 9 of the 24-th season of the American smash-hit reality series.
On the list is InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, one of the chosen
ones to set the scene for 28-year-old Bachelor Pete's love journey.
"It's an exciting time for the property as we have recently unveiled our
stunning guest room and suite refurbishment transformed our breakfast
destination Cove Cafe and now, we've played a part in the year's most iconic love story," says resort General Manager, Matt Rippin.
The Gold Coast welcomed 65,000 North American visitors for the year ending September 2019 who spent an average 12.5 nights exploring the region.
The timely Bachelor USA partnership will further capitalise on new flights into Brisbane from San Francisco that commenced on February 9 and flights taking off from Chicago from April 20.
Bachelor Peter Weber became a fan favourite after placing third on Hannah Brown's explosive season of The Bachelorette in 2019.
This feature has been produced in collaboration with City of Gold Coast
Australian Associated Press
