Aussie European Travel Dreams Come True Through Eurovision Song Contest 2021

AUSTRALIA, 19 MAY 2021 - Booking.com, the Official Travel Partner of Eurovision Song Contest 2021, has partnered with Dami Im to celebrate what we love most about the European spectacle from down under. The Australian Eurovision Song Contest legend is sharing her love for European travel by hosting a Dutch themed ‘Eurovision Song Contest Sleepover’ and calling on Aussies to get involved and celebrate our ‘friendly rivals’ that we miss in Europe.

The annual extravaganza will be taking place in Rotterdam, Netherlands from 17 May with the finale hitting Aussie screens live at 5am on Sunday 23 May AEST. Despite not being a European nation, Australia has performed in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2015, and in the past decade is the third highest scoring country, highlighting the nation’s love for the continent. 

Whilst European travel is currently off limits for Australians, there are still many incredible Europe-inspired experiences that Aussies can have whilst travelling domestically. To help the public get their fix of Europe in lieu of international travel, Booking.com has curated a list of the top 5 places in Australia reminiscent of the country’s most visited European destinations*:

1. Mollymook on the South Coast of NSW holds many similarities to the seaside port of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Home to Rick Stein’s Bannisters restaurant who once called it “the best of Australian landscapes and South West England”.
2. Fremantle in Western Australia is rich in Italian heritage. A bustling port with exquisite seafood, the city can be likened to the beautiful coastal towns of Italy. 
3. Hobart in Tasmania has a French connection to early explorers and has the cuisine, produce and not to mention MONA, which rivals the most contemporary found in France. 
4. Port Douglas in tropical North Queensland is teeming with wild and tropical beaches much like the idyllic Balearic Islands of Spain.
5. Hahndorf in South Australia, settled by 19th-century Lutheran migrants, is known for its original German-style architecture, thriving artisanal food, hearty pubs, and gourmet delicatessens. 

In order to celebrate Europe at a time when international borders are closed, Booking.com is calling on fans to host their own European-themed sleepover, and celebrate their favourite entrant to be in with a chance of winning a Europe-inspired getaway without leaving the country.

Booking.com, with Dami, are encouraging Aussies to reminisce about their favourite European destinations, whilst celebrating the flamboyant performances and legendary live shows that the Eurovision Song Contest is known for, to inspire travel when it’s safe to do so once more.

Eurovision Song Contest legend Dami Im explains how Eurovision is more than just a Song Contest: 

“While the Eurovision Song Contest has an element of competition, Australia participating each year signifies being part of the melting pot of cultures which makes the event unlike anything else in the world. 

When I was in Stockholm, the whole city turned into a big celebration for music and different cultures and there was so much excitement in the air. I thought “when else would I get the chance to be in the same room with people from 42 other countries that speak and sing in different languages?” Even though it’s a competition, we only felt friendship and comradery, and I was fascinated to learn about their cultures. That's one of the joys of travel - opening doors to new experiences and making new friends.

I’m thrilled about partnering with Booking.com to bring to life my favourite European memories once again. I’m decking everything out to celebrate the Netherlands so I can feel like I’m right there in Rotterdam experiencing the amazing atmosphere once again. As we are still unable to travel to our favourite places overseas, re-imagining travel to Europe again through a Eurovision Sleepover is the next best thing!”. 

To enter, Aussie fans need to showcase their favourite European destination by theming their own Eurovision Sleepover with the chosen nation’s colours, iconic national foods and symbolic treasures, posting the fun on social media with the hashtag #EurovisionSleepover and tagging @bookingcom @damiim. 

The entries must be posted on Sunday 23rd May before 11:59pm AEST. Booking.com and Dami will judge the entries with the winner to be selected on 26 May. Please see full competition terms and conditions for more information.

With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world and more than 28 million accommodation listings in more than 153,000 destinations worldwide, Booking.com is committed to help Eurovision Song Contest fans everywhere, including as far away as Australia make the most of their local travels.

ENDS

CONTACT DETAILS

For further information, contact the Booking.com Australian Press Office team: 

Red Havas at bookingau@redhavas.com

Kelly Ferrier on 0433 964 311 or Lauren Donohoe on 0434 083 369. 

*Methodology: all the bookings by countries participating in Eurovision Song Contest to other Eurovision Song Contest countries. Only bookings made in the year that the booker's country participated in the Eurovision Song Contest final were considered. Time range: check-in date between 2010 and 2019.

About Booking.com:

Founded in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown from a small Dutch startup to one of the world’s leading digital travel companies. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com’s mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. By investing in the technology that helps take the friction out of travel, Booking.com seamlessly connects millions of travelers with memorable experiences, a range of transportation options and incredible places to stay - from homes to hotels and much more. As one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces for both established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes, Booking.com enables properties all over the world to reach a global audience and grow their businesses. Booking.com is available in 44 languages and offers more than 28 million total reported accommodation listings, including more than 6.5 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay. No matter where you want to go or what you want to do, Booking.com makes it easy and backs it all up with 24/7 customer support.

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About the Eurovision Song Contest 

The Eurovision Song Contest is the world’s largest live music event. It is organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). 

The competition, in which participating Member broadcasters of the EBU send a new song to represent their nation, takes place annually in the country that won the previous edition.

The event is produced by the EBU together with the broadcaster which sent the winning song.

39 countries will take part in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam following the Netherlands win with the song “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence in 2019. 

The Eurovision Song Contest has taken place every year since 1956 except in 2020 when the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 27 countries have won the competition at least once. 

The 2019 competition reached over 180 million TV viewers in over 40 markets and millions more online.

About the European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable. 

We represent 115 media organizations in 56 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and have an additional 33 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. 

Our Members operate nearly 2,000 television and radio channels alongside numerous online platforms. Together, they reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in almost 160 languages.

We strive to secure a sustainable future for public service media, provide our Members with world-class content from news to sports and music, and build on our founding ethos of solidarity and co-operation to create a centre for learning and sharing.

Our subsidiary, Eurovision Services, aims to be the first-choice media services provider, offering new, better and different ways to simply, efficiently and seamlessly access and deliver content and services.

We have offices in Brussels, Rome, Dubai, Moscow, New York, Washington DC, Singapore, Madrid and Beijing. Our headquarters are in Geneva. 

Discover more about the EBU at www.ebu.ch