Australians urged to stay down under for holidays this year with launch of $20 million campaign

Green and gold advertisements spruiking domestic Aussie holidays will be rolled out on Thursday as part of a $20 million tourism bushfire relief effort.

Australians considering hopping the pond for their next break are being asked to “Holiday Here This Year” instead.

Green and gold advertisements spruiking domestic trips will be rolled out today as part of a $20 million domestic tourism bushfire relief effort. 

The campaign is the first to launch after the Morrison Government’s $76 million tourism recovery package announced last week. 

Holiday-makers are reminded that regions touched by fire and also those not directly affected had suffered unprecedented cancellations and reduced bookings.

Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham says it is up to all Australians to help. Picture: Kym Smith

The Australian Tourism Export Council estimated the crisis could cost the industry $4.5 billion by the end of 2020 as airline bookings continuing to fall.

Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said it was up to all Australians to help.

“Whether it be a romantic weekend away, a trip to another state during the school holidays or discovering somewhere new in Australia, we want Aussies to holiday here this year,” he said.

“Australians should know that wherever they book a trip within Australia it will help to save a job or keep a business afloat, while also giving them and their loved ones a great experience.

“Our message is crystal clear – we want Australians to pitch in to save the towns, jobs and small businesses around our country who rely on tourism.”

The ‘Holiday Here This Year’ campaign poster.

The campaign hopes to ride on the wave of goodwill displayed by Australians during the unprecedented fires.

Last year domestic tourists pumped $16,490 million into the Victorian economy. 

The most popular destinations for Australian explorers were the CBD shopping precinct, Southbank, the Mornington Peninsula, the Great Ocean Road and Crown. 

Victorian Tourism Minister Martin Pakula said state and federal authorities wanted to make sure the message “hit the mark”.

Australians are being urged to spend a night or two in regional Victoria. Picture: Visit Victoria

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“We are spreading the message that the best way to support your fellow Victorians is to hit the road and stay a night or two in regional Victoria,” he said.

“We’ve got almost 150 business, sporting and government organisations behind our push to reinvigorate regional tourism and we want everyone to follow that lead.”

The dining sector has speculated that sales could drop between $1.4 billion and $4 billion during the year as produce prices soar.

Reservation websites Booking.com and Expedia have reported a slump of 30-40 per cent in bookings for the usually buzzing Chinese New Year period.

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Originally published as Australians urged to stay down under for holidays this year with launch of $20 million campaign