CChinese Market

Dive Into Greatness – TTNQ x HelloDive China Dive Market Campaign

• September 13, 2025
• Market Insight

From VR reef dives at DRT Shanghai to viral campaigns on Xiaohongshu, Dive Into Greatness put Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef on the radar of China’s diving community like never before.

In March to June 2025, HelloDive partnered with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) to deliver Dive Into Greatness, the first scuba diving–focused destination campaign for Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef in the China market. The integrated program combined offline events, digital activations, and direct sales channels to raise awareness, drive bookings, and position Cairns as a premium, sustainable dive destination for Chinese travellers.

Making a Splash at DRT Shanghai

The collaboration debuted at DRT Shanghai with the first-ever joint booth between HelloDive and TTNQ. Designed around the reef-and-rainforest identity, the booth immediately stood out, drawing an estimated 50% more engagement than expected.

Key features included:

• A VR experience transporting visitors to the Great Barrier Reef’s outdoors.

• A capsule prize machine offering Cairns day tour vouchers and discounts.

• A Responsible Diver survey, completed by more than 600 attendees, aligning conservation values with destination marketing.

Liveaboards such as Spirit of Freedom and Mike Ball drew significant attention, particularly around the iconic dwarf minke whale season and October Golden Week. Overall, booth interactions exceeded 1,000, generating strong buzz and laying the foundation for downstream sales.

Extending the Message – Destination Talks

Following the expo, HelloDive hosted two destination talks in Shanghai and Beijing. The Shanghai event, themed “Protect The Ocean”, took place at N Hyundai Center and was also live-streamed to expand reach.

The sessions addressed coral bleaching and spotlighted the efforts of local scientists, correcting misconceptions while inviting divers to witness Cairns’ thriving reef systems firsthand. To drive engagement, a three-day/two-night liveaboard trip sponsored by OceanQuest was given away on-site. These events reinforced Cairns’ positioning as both a high-quality dive destination and a leader in sustainable tourism.

Broadening Reach with PADI and Xiaohongshu

In April, HelloDive and PADI launched the first Xiaohongshu campaign dedicated to the Great Barrier Reef. The month-long activation leveraged PADI’s global recognition and HelloDive’s reach to move beyond the core dive community. At least half of the participants were non-certified individuals, many considering diving for the first time. This successfully reframed the Great Barrier Reef as both a dream destination and an accessible entry point into diving.

On-the-Ground Engagement – Dive Club Visits

To convert interest into bookings, HelloDive visited eight major dive clubs in Shanghai and Beijing. While instructors and club leaders showed high interest, many flagged the lack of flexible group FOC policies compared to Southeast Asia. This barrier limited club-organised trips and tilted demand toward FIT bookings. Pricing itself was less of a concern; structured group incentives emerged as a key growth opportunity.

Sales Impact and Insights

The campaign generated over AUD $170,000 in revenue, with an average stay length of five nights in the region.

• Liveaboards dominated bookings (81%), particularly premium itineraries such as the Coral Sea, Minke Whale and Cod Hole. 

• March saw the highest sales volume, while April and June emerged as peak travel months thanks to Easter holidays and the start of the minke whale season. Booking lead times averaged one to three months.

• Although interest—especially in minke whale trips—was exceptionally high, limited liveaboard capacity meant many departures were already sold out by the time of DRT Shanghai, capping further conversions.

Ultimately, Dive Into Greatness was more than a campaign; it was a turning point. It marked the first appearance of an Australian tourism authority at DRT Shanghai, brought Cairns’ outdoors to life through VR, and embedded conservation values into the destination story. With 23,000+ website pageviews, 1,800+ Xiaohongshu engagements, and 37,500+ WeChat reach, the partnership with TTNQ demonstrated how destination marketing—powered by HelloDive’s China expertise—can transform awareness into measurable results and long-term momentum.