Popular media personalities Hamish Blake and wife Zoe Foster-Blake are now fronting the second iteration of Tourism Australia’s Holiday Here This Year domestic campaign, with new material going live this week.
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, said the campaign was all about galvanising Aussies to support their fellow citizens by booking a holiday wherever they can around the country.
“With the peak summer travel period just around the corner, it is crucial that we continue to remind people of all the incredible destinations and tourism experiences that are right on their doorstep waiting to be explored,” she said.
In an exclusive video interview with HM, Harrison said she’s confident the campaign would provide a much needed boost for both regional areas and major cities across the nation.
Australian Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham, said this campaign was about getting more Australians on planes and spending in our cities or tourism regions.
“Tourism employs one in 13 Australians and is the backbone of so many businesses across Australia, but the industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis,” he said.
“With interstate travel now possible to many parts of Australia, there isn’t a better opportunity than right now for Aussies to book a plane ticket, head to an interstate destination and help save a tourism business or the job of a fellow Australian.”
Materials for the renewed push featuring the couple went live on consumer television, radio, print, digital and out-of-home (OOH) this week, showcasing the holiday planning exercise as the pair discussed the varied and exciting activities and destinations they wished to see and experience around Australia.
The purpose of the campaign, according to Tourism Australia, is to remind Australians of the many local communities and businesses which rely on tourism and how they can be helped by taking a domestic holiday. Tourism Australia has invested AU$7 million into the latest push.
Experiences including surfing, wine tasting, guided walking tours and Great Barrier Reef adventures are among the many highlights available in Australia which form key pillars to the campaign.
Tourism and hotel industry associations have thrown their support behind the new campaign, with Tourism Accommodation Australia National CEO, labelling the campaign as a great first step in rebuilding the struggling hotel sector.
“The campaign looks great and it encourages travellers to not just take a holiday but to book an experience which will help revenue flow through to our airlines and airports, tour operators, hire car companies and, of course, accommodation providers.”
Johnson added that recent government voucher rebate schemes – which incentivise residents to book and enjoy local tourism experiences with partial government subsidisation – were great examples of how state authorities can spur intrastate visitation.
“Hospitality voucher programs like those introduced in Tasmania and the Northern Territory are a great way to boost intra-state tourism, they are good for accommodation hotels, tourism operators and the wider hospitality and visitor economy,” Johnson added.
Tourism and Transport Forum CEO, Margy Osmond, said it was critically important to get the tourism dollars which would otherwise have gone overseas to be spent instead in the local economy.
“Whether it is a tour within a world class national or marine park, a flight to a new regional destination to sample the local produce or an interstate city visit to see a performance or art gallery or iconic attraction, now is the time for all of us to think outside the square and travel like we might if we were overseas,” Osmond said.