Tourism Australia takes credit as visitor figures bounce back

The corny kangaroo has apparently done its job in directing visitors back to Australia post pandemic.

Tourism Australia’s global campaign, Come and Say G’day, has now been in key tourism markets around the world for 12 months, urging international travellers to fly Down Under.

To celebrate the milestone, brand ambassador Ruby the kangaroo - which was lambasted when the campaign began - has hopped onto major billboards in New York, London, Singapore, Chengdu and Beijing with a showcasing some of Australia’s most recognisable destinations and scenery.

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said that while Come and Say G’day was a long-term campaign, and its work was far from done, the organisation can already see it has had a positive impact in Tourism Australia’s key markets.

“When Come and Say G’day launched in October 2022, visitation to Australia was at about 50% of monthly pre-pandemic levels." Harrison said.

"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.”

Tourism Australia chief marketing officer Susan Coghill said it was not a surprise Come and Say G’day is resonating internationally as it tested extremely well in markets ahead of the launch.

“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,” she said.