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Australasia and environs…

Australia highlights key assets as Oceania sees slow tourism growth in 2019

According to UNWTO figures released in January, growth in Oceania (+3%) was rather slow, with modest performance by larger destinations Australia and New Zealand, partly due to the softening of Chinese visitors. The slowdown in Chinese tourism to Australia occurred despite a weaker Australian dollar which has turned the destination cheaper. By contrast, smaller island destinations Guam, French Polynesia and Samoa recorded solid growth. 

At the end of 2019, and well into 2020, Australia was hard hit by bushfires – the worst in the nation’s history.

Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director, Tourism Australia, in an official statement, said, “It is more important than ever that we rally around our communities and the tourism sector who may have been impacted (eds: by the fires).”

Above and beyond the sad news of the fires, the distinct and defining character of Australia and of Australians was celebrated in a new campaign unveiled by Tourism Australia on 30 October 2019, inviting the world Down Under to experience first-hand the Australian way of life.

It’s a new three-year global campaign, entitled “Come Live our Philausophy”, elevating some of Australia’s greatest assets – its people and personality. A deliberately Australian play on words, Philausophy aims to capture the philosophy of Australians and their informal approach to living, which research shows is highly appealing amongst visitors.

Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said Tourism Australia’s global campaign strategy is part of an AU$38 million investment that will be rolled out in 15 key tourism markets over the next three years to attract more international tourists Down Under.

A suite of new creative assets has been developed for the Philausophy campaign, including over 5,000 new images captured across every state and territory, a series of industry videos, bespoke social content, a refresh of australia.com and Australia.cn, and a book featuring well-known Aussie icons who will have provided their own personal perspectives and experiences that help explain our unique Australian way of life. Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said that Philausophy was all about elevating one of Australia’s greatest assets and something that we know people from around the world will travel to experience first-hand – its people.

“We know from our research that 70% of international travellers believe that Australians have a different perspective on life; 79% believe that the Australian people are an important part of the Australian lifestyle; and 82% would like to travel to Australia to experience our lifestyle,” Ms Harrison said.

Photo: Australia’s iconic animal, the kangaroo taking in the sunset in Queensland