The Foundation for the WA Museum has announced its partnership with Crown Perth and the WA Museum for the Terracotta Warriors exhibition, amid high visitor numbers.
Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor, entailing more than 225 artefacts from China, was initially predicted to draw 180,000 visitors to the WA Museum display from June to February next year.
One third of those visitors were expected to be interstate and international travellers.
The exhibition was initially predicted to near $45 million in economic impact, according to Tourism Council WA.
Last month, the state government revealed 100,000 people had visited the exhibition in the first eight weeks, exceeding initial estimations.
The Foundation in a statement yesterday called the Crown partnership “a departure from traditional sponsorship models”.
The sponsorship includes tailored accommodation packages for the exhibition and exclusive accommodation offers for WA Museum members.
Additionally, four full-size replicas of the warriors stand on display at Crown Towers.
“An exhibition of the scale and significance of Terracotta Warriors is made even more successful through collaborative partnerships,” WA Museum acting chief executive Jason Fair said.
“Partnering with a luxury brand like Crown Perth not only elevates the visitor experience but also highlights the broader value international exhibitions bring to Western Australia’s tourism and hospitality sectors.”
Crown Perth chief executive Brian Pereira said the partnership combined luxury hospitality with a cultural experience.
“We have a proud track record of supporting and developing tourism and entertainment in Perth, delighting Western Australians and visitors alike for almost 40 years,” he said.
Commenting on the display’s high visitation numbers in a statement in August, Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk said the exhibition showed the state’s capacity for international showcases.
“Most of the objects in the exhibition have never been seen in Australia before and nearly half have never been seen outside China,” she said.
“This exhibition has far-reaching impacts for WA’s tourism, hospitality and hotel businesses as interstate and overseas visitors come to our State.”
The Foundation appointed a popular Chinese TV host Zhang Guoli as cultural ambassador for the exhibition.
As a part of his involvement, Mr Guoli filmed his first international episode in Perth for his show in China called The Nation’s Greatest Treasures.
Each episode prior has attracted more than 10 million views, according to The Foundation.
The exhibition was developed collaboratively by the WA Museum, Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre and the Emperor Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Museum.
Business News understands the WA Museum began planning for the exhibition around eight years ago.
