Daniel Ricciardo returns to global screens to spruik WA ahead of Singapore Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo will return to global screens spruiking Western Australian tourism, driving around the South West in new ads released ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Hitting interstate and Singaporean screens for four weeks from Tuesday, the new campaign shows Ricciardo and his friend Blake embark on a road trek through the Margaret River region — including a winery visit, a walk through Ngilgi Cave and trekking the Cape to Cape track.

The short film, which also includes partnerships with Qantas Hotels and Holidays, Skyscanner, and C-Trip, has been translated into eight different languages and will roll out in key markets over the next year.

Targeting visitors from Singapore is a key aim for WA tourism officials, using Ricciardo ahead of this weekend’s race.

Singapore is WA’s second largest global market in terms of both visitor volume and spending — 92,000 visitors spent $258 million in WA in the 12 months to March.

The “Drive the Dream” campaign is the second for Ricciardo after he travelled along the Coral Coast Highway from Perth to Exmouth in the first ad, which has so far reached 136 million people.

It comes after the Government announced last month it would use former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist in a similar campaign to attract visitors from India ahead of this summer’s West Test.

Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said WA’s ease of access from Singapore made sense for a continued focus.

“Kicking off this campaign at the Singapore Grand Prix with a world-famous West Australian like Daniel Ricciardo promoting our incredible State to an international audience is fantastic for local tourism,” she said.

“Western Australia is easily accessible from Singapore by a direct 5-hour flight, and as the second-largest country for both visitor spending and the volume of travellers in WA, it makes sense for us to continue focusing on this market.

“We know these types of targeted campaigns using well-known Western Australians are an important way to generate exposure for our State in these sought-after markets and position us as a must-visit destination.”