Two of Australia’s iconic homegrown personalities, Hamish Blake and Zoe Foster-Blake, are helping inspire travellers to book their next domestic holiday as part of Tourism Australia’s latest campaign launched today.
The latest Tourism Australia’s Holiday Here This Year campaign, first launched in January, aims to get Australians travelling safely across the country to provide a boost to tourism businesses and operators.
Hamish and Zoe said that they were excited help the country bounce back after a tough year by inspiring Australians to get travelling.
“It does feel special to be able to help promote our country because we love travelling, we love adventure, and we love Australia. So we can’t really think of anything that’s a better fit,” Hamish and Zoe say.
“We know everybody feels like a holiday right now so it’s not exactly a tough sell, but hopefully we can help to convince those people who were putting one off or had planned something overseas, to book a holiday here. Not only will they create incredible memories, they’ll be helping the tourism sector right across the country to bounce back.”
Avish Gordhan, executive creative director atM&C Saatchi, says Australians deserve a holiday after all that’s happened this year.
“Even if you can't get out and see the country right now, it's a great time to start planning all the things you could do when the world gets a bit more normal,” says Gordhan.
“We couldn't think of anyone more fitting than Australia's favourite couple Hamish & Zoe to encourage Aussies to think about getting out there again, enjoying the wonderful experiences in our backyard, and, importantly, helping the tourism industry and the country recover in the process.”
The campaign will be rolled out across a range of channels including print, social media, search, radio and outdoor advertising and will be supported by a domestic media hosting program, campaign content across Tourism Australia’s social media and digital channels, and amplified through industry and content partnerships.
Activity will be executed in phases across the states to reflect local travel restrictions.
Tourism Australia’s CMO,Susan Coghill: “Given the unprecedented challenges facing travel this year we have really had to shift our marketing focus to keep our brand visible internationally, while also looking at how we can support our tourism sector by encouraging Australians to travel and explore more of their own backyards when they can."
Phillipa Harrison, Tourism Australia’s managing director, says now is the perfect time, with domestic restrictions lifting and consumer confidence improving, to inspire those Australians who are able to, to plan and book their next holiday.
“Our Holiday Here This Year campaign is all about galvanizing Australians to support their fellow Australians by booking a holiday wherever they can around the country,” says Harrison.
“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.
“This will be just the first of a series of initiatives that we will be implementing over the coming months to continue to drive as much domestic demand as possible, particularly to those regions and operators that are typically popular with international visitors.
“Our goal is to try and get Australians travelling differently by using the Holiday Here This Year campaign platform to urge them to start ticking off their holiday bucket list or heading interstate for a trip of a lifetime, and in turn provide a much need boost especially to those areas most affected by the bushfires and COVID-19.”
The campaign follows the launch of a teaser video voiced by Hamish Blake across Tourism Australia’s social and digital channels, which takes viewers on a journey across some of Australia’s most breathtaking landscapes and reminds them of the undeniably unique aspects of our country.
Federal tourism minister Simon Birmingham says the 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 says.
“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.
“We are urging Australians to support our airlines and airports, tour operators, hire car companies and accommodation providers, while also giving people the chance to enjoy some of the incredible experiences our country has to offer.
“With our international borders expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future and the summer holidays only a couple of months away, this is a shout out to all Australians who are in a position to do so, to try something new and consider booking a holiday to a destination within Australia they have never been to before.
“Whether it be a surf lesson in Byron Bay, a wine tasting experience in the Adelaide Hills, a boat trip out to the Great Barrier Reef or a guided walking tour in the Top End, Australia has so many unique and wonderful tourism experiences.”
Tourism Australia is also continuing to provide consumers with the practical resources and inspiration they need to book a holiday and travel safely around Australia, with tailored content, itineraries, and industry offers on Australia.com.
This includes a new online Australian COVID travel portal.
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