CHICAGO, Jan. 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading online travel company Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) has partnered with Tourism Northern Territory to launch "Orbitz Originals: Northern Territory – The Red Centre," a six-part online video series hosted by award-winning travel expert Richard Bangs and available for viewing at Orbitz.com/Northern-Territory. Supported by hotel discounts of up to 20 percent and substantial flight and hotel package savings, this twelfth installment of the "Orbitz Originals" series once again uses the power of online video to inspire travelers and increase bookings to this one-of-a-kind destination deep in the heart of Australia.
Research continues to point to the importance of destination video content in consumers' purchasing behavior. YouTube has seen views of travel content spike by 118 percent year-over-year, according to a recent study and whitepaper released by Google.1 The study also found that two out of three U.S. consumers watch online travel videos when they're thinking about taking a trip, and that "searches on YouTube generally occur earlier in the travel-planning process…a strong video strategy can help brands reach, inspire and engage today's digitally savvy traveler in more ways than ever before."
"Orbitz Originals: Northern Territory – The Red Centre," shows off the Outback's unique terrain, culture, cuisine and wildlife. Select highlights from the six-part series:
-
"Top 10 Adventures" gives viewers an overview of the best of the Northern Territory, including the exploration of Aboriginal art and dance, a ride on a Harley, a view of the world's largest wild camel population and a hike down picturesque Kings Canyon.
-
"Paddock to Plate" follows Richard as he gets a taste of emu, crocodile, and kangaroo all in the same venue, and even eats dinner under the stars around a campfire.
-
"The Art of Not Doing" explores the great rock Uluru – also known as Ayers Rock – one of the world's most impressive and greatest natural wonders located in the Red Centre of Australia. But the Aborigines hold Uluru sacred and ask that it not be climbed. Join Richard on camelback as he explores the many other things to do around the rock.
"By partnering with Orbitz Originals and Richard Bangs, we knew that the true spirit of the Northern Territory would come alive," said Al Merschen, director of Tourism Northern Territory Americas. "The Northern Territory is a destination unlike any other and we wanted those who have yet to experience it firsthand to feel as though they were right there with Richard on his journey in the outback."
To date, "Orbitz Originals" videos highlighting Cancun, the Cayman Islands, Qatar Airways, Vermont, Western Ireland, New York, Northern Ireland, Bradenton, Florida, Puerto Rico, Jackson Hole, and Bermuda have been viewed over 1.2 million times by travelers seeking inspiration for future trips. Bookings to those destinations have experienced double-digit growth over the life of each campaign.
"We want each new edition of the 'Orbitz Originals' series to really capture the destination and use video to provide a unique perspective and inspire travelers to visit. Richard's adventure through the highlights of Australia's Outback is one curious travelers won't want to miss," said Josh Winkler, Orbitz Worldwide vice president of partner marketing.
1Travel Content Takes Off on YouTube, Google and Ipsos MediaCT (August 2014)
About Orbitz.com
Orbitz.com is a leading travel website that enables consumers to search for and book a broad range of hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and destination activities. Since launching in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the world's largest online travel sites. Orbitz.com now offers the groundbreaking Orbitz Rewards loyalty program—the only program where customers can earn rewards immediately on flights, hotels and packages, and redeem instantly on tens of thousands of hotels worldwide. Use the Orbitz Rewards Visa® Card to earn even more rewards. Orbitz.com is the #1 way to book travel on mobile devices, be it using our apps (get them at orbitz.com/mobile) or our smartphone-optimized website (m.orbitz.com), both of which are tailored for smartphones and tablets. The Orbitz app won the 2014 Appy Award for best travel app. Orbitz also ranks #1 in Online Travel Website Customer Satisfaction in the 2014 American Customer Satisfaction Index. Follow Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and through the Orbitz Travel Blog. Orbitz.com is operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW).
About Orbitz Worldwide
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) is a leading global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel. Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (orbitz.com), ebookers (ebookers.com), HotelClub (hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (cheaptickets.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (orbitzpartnernetwork.com) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world's largest airlines, bank loyalty programs and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes. Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.
ABOUT NORTHERN TERRITORY:
Known as Australia's Outback, the Northern Territory is home to seven different regions. From the Top End to the Red Centre, the destination varies from cascading waterfalls to the iconic Uluru. Experiences in the Northern Territory are as diverse as its landscapes; whether it be bird watching, experiencing Indigenous culture or luxury accommodations, there is certainly something for everyone. The Northern Territory is both timeless and ever changing as the seasons. Getting to the Northern Territory is easy. The vibrant capital city of Darwin is closer to Asia than any other capital city in Australia and, in the Centre Alice Springs is only a 3-4 hour plane ride from most Australian capital cities. For more information visit www.australiasoutback.com, www.facebook.com/AustraliasOutbackNorthernTerritoryUS or www.twitter.com/AusOutbackNT_US
CONTACT: Media contacts:
Orbitz Worldwide
Trevor Kight
+1 312-260-8198
trevor.kight@orbitz.com
Tourism Northern Territory
Hallie Rosenbloom
+1 646 366 8162
Hallie@myriadmarketing.com
