Tourism Australia has rolled out a $40 million campaign to drive international travellers to holiday in Australia.

With Australia’s borders re-opening to fully vaccinated visitors from February 21, the organisation is eager to see the return of tourists in large numbers to aid recovery of the accommodation and tourism sectors.

“The world has been waiting two years to get Down Under for a holiday and our latest ad campaign will remind them of what they’ve been missing,” said Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan.

“After COVID-19, the world is looking forward to taking a holiday and we want that holiday to be in Australia.

The ‘Don’t Go Small. Go Australia’ campaign features a diverse selection of iconic destinations and experiences from around the country, and spotlights popular locations that have been severely impacted by the pandemic.

The campaign will run across TV, print, digital and social channels in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France and Italy.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said it’s about reminding travellers that “Australia is the perfect destination for an epic adventure”.

“Australia has amazing icons which we are known and loved for around the world such as the Great Barrier Reef, the awe-inspiring Uluru and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and now is the time to remind the world of these things as well as showcase a number of our less known but equally spectacular experiences and destinations,” she said.

“There are also plenty of new products that have launched over the past two years waiting for travellers, meaning there is something new for everyone here in Australia, even those who have visited before, so we’re asking people around the world to Come and Say G’Day.”

According to Minister Tehan, it’s just the first step in a long-term strategy to restart tourism to Australia, with further investment in international marketing campaigns planned for the second half of the year.

The campaign is supported by travel information and offers from global partners on Australia.com.

Meanwhile, the existing Come and Say G’Day campaign, ‘Australia is Yours to Explore’, which launched in Singapore last November, will continue to be rolled out in markets across Asia such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Greater China.