The Ellen effect

In 2010 Tourism Australia did a deal with talk show queen Oprah Winfrey to visit our shores. Following in her footsteps, Ellen DeGeneres arrives Down Under shortly. (March 15 update: The visit has reportedly been postponed because of illness) But what effect did Oprah’s visit have and how will Ellen’s trip impact Aussie tourism numbers? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Marcus Casey finds out.

The footage of Australian actor Hugh Jackman hurtling down a flying fox in front of the Sydney Opera House before smashing into a stage in a stunt gone wrong went right around the world via video, traditional media and word of mouth.

But it was the fact he’d done it as part of one of the episodes Oprah Winfrey was filming in Australia in December 2010 which made it newsworthy on a global scale.

Not only did the accident promote the fact Oprah was in Australia, but it created a sense of expectation in the international markets where Oprah is watched – especially in the US where millions follow her every word.