Images of Dubbo, Mudgee and Taronga Western Plains Zoo will be seen in areas such as Hong Kong’s newspapers, on buses and trams, and across mainstream media.

NSW Tourism Minister Adam Marshall said he expected 500 tourists to take advantage of the campaign, injecting $1 million into the region.

The tourists will spend a night in Dubbo where they will visit the zoo, followed by a wine tour in Mudgee where they will spend their second night. The final two nights will be spent in Sydney.

“Last year 1.2 million Chinese visited Australia... and this is all about expanding our appeal and making sure we’re hitting those buttons for the Chinese tourists: plenty of wide open spaces, blue sky, food, wine, our wonderful wildlife and animals, and something unique that they cannot see anywhere else in the world,” Mr Marshall said.

Member for Dubbo Troy Grant said China was densely populated and smoggy, but in Dubbo there was beautiful sunshine, beautiful landscapes and world-class attractions.

“The recommendations I have for the tourists coming here is to get past what you perceive country NSW is all about and have a look at the diversity on offer and have a look at the quality of the tourist attractions we have in our region,” Mr Grant said.

International tourists make up only a small percentage of the zoo’s visitors, but Taronga Western Plains Zoo director Matt Fuller said he had been part of selling the region to the world, particularly China for the past year and had already seen great success.

The ‘Hong Kong Wing on Travel’ campaign is a pilot program. If successful, Mr Marshall said the program would be extended into mainstream China and farther across regional NSW.