AusLeisure

Tourism Australia has reported that its global Come and Say G’day promotion, active in key tourism markets around the world for one year, has generated growth in international travellers to Australia and supported the recovery of our visitor economy.

To celebrate the 12-month milestone brand ambassador Ruby the kangaroo has this week hopped onto major billboards in New York, London, Singapore, Chengdu and Beijing with a warm and welcoming message for travellers while showcasing some of Australia’s most recognisable and stunning scenery.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, said while Come and Say G’day is a long-term campaign, and its work is far from done, it has had a positive impact in Tourism Australia’s key markets.

Harrison noted “when Come and Say G’day launched in October 2022 visitation to Australia was at about 50% of monthly pre-pandemic levels. The latest arrivals numbers for July 2023 show we have steadily climbed back to about 80%, compared to the same month in 2019.

“This ongoing recovery is great news for our industry, and we are confident that our campaign will continue to drive more demand back to Australia, as we look to stand out in a very competitive global market. We know the campaign has already driven up global consideration for an Australian holiday, and our share of flight search is already up by 10% globally, compared to 2019.”

“These numbers demonstrate that Come and Say G’day is working, and will play an important role, as we look to not only recover to 2019 levels, but to return to the sustainable growth our industry experienced in the decade before the pandemic.”

“As part of the campaign Tourism Australia has 190 campaign partnerships in market, including a variety of airlines and travel agents, and the feedback from those partners on the ground is they have seen a jump in interest in an Australian holiday since the launch of Come and Say G’day.”

Tourism Australia Chief Marketing Officer, Susan Coghill, said it is not a surprise Come and Say G’day is resonating internationally as it tested extremely well in markets ahead of the launch, adding Come and Say G’day has proven to be an incredibly versatile campaign that translates across English and non-English speaking markets and it can be adapted to capitalise on key moments such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, where we were able to make the most of the global attention on Australia with a special instalment of the campaign.”

Main image: Ruby the kangaroo on Singapore billboards this week.

Related Articles

8th October 2023 - PATA Chair says tourism faces threats of climate change and geopolitical unrest

5th October 2023 - 10th Global Tourism Economy Forum injects new ideas towards Sustainable Tourism

5th October 2023 - Tourism Tropical North Queensland announces key partnerships and events appointment

27th September 2023 - Global tourism grows to 84% of pre-pandemic levels

27th September 2023 - Tourism Research Australia shows Queensland continues to dominate the country’s holiday market

19th September 2023 - ATEC tourism tutorial to refresh knowledge on Chinese market

1st September 2023 - ATEC concerned about high airfares and limited capacity damaging tourism exports

17th July 2023 - New Tourism Australia campaign looks to leverage FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

2nd June 2023 - Tourism Australia cuts 20 jobs at Sydney offices

6th May 2023 - Ecotourism Australia encouraged by sustainable tourism demand at ATE23

13th February 2023 - Adelaide to host Tourism Australia’s signature incentive showcase Dreamtime

28th January 2023 - Tourism Australia judges Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island as the nation’s best beach

26th October 2022 - Federal budget supports growth of visitor economy but slashes Tourism Australia funding

11th October 2022 - Ruby the animated kangaroo unveiled as Tourism Australia’s new brand ambassador

3rd October 2021 - Tourism Australia revises Aussie Specialist Program

19th May 2021 - ATEC and Tourism Australia encourage export businesses to participate in Korea Host program

15th April 2021 - Tourism Australia reveals extra support for the business events sector

7th April 2021 - Tourism Australia launches National Experience Content Initiative

11th February 2021 - Tourism Australia launches new campaign to boost business events across Australia

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.