Unicorn travels Australia in push for overseas tourists

A toy unicorn is the latest – and perhaps most unusual – character Tourism Australia has deployed to entice travellers to choose Australia as a holiday destination.

Louie the unicorn will join Ruby the CGI kangaroo in ads for Tourism Australia’s first global campaign in seven years, which will be launched in New York on Thursday.

Louie the toy unicorn with Ruby the kangaroo in the new Tourism Australia ads.

The toy unicorn, an international visitor who finds himself on a boat on the Great Barrier Reef, is voiced by Canadian Will Arnett, best known for his role in Arrested Development.

In the official “Come and Say G’day” ads, Louie is shown sites around Australia including cafes in Melbourne and Western Australia’s beaches by Ruby, an animated kangaroo voiced by actress Rose Byrne.

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said the animated ambassador and her new friend bring fun and light to the campaign, after a tough time during the pandemic.

“After a challenging time around the world, our uplifting and joyful campaign will stand out in what is a highly competitive international tourism market,” she said.

Tourism and Trade Minister Don Farrell said the campaign was about reminding people that Australia was a great place to have a holiday.

“This global tourism campaign is a critical step to rebuilding our visitor economy and supporting our tourism industry,” Farrell said.

Rock group King Stingray, from Northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, have also recorded a cover of the Men at Work classic Down Under, singing in both English and Yolnu Matha.

It’s the first global Tourism Australia campaign since 2016 and the organisation will keep Ruby as the country’s long-term international ambassador.

The global campaign is being launched in New York on Thursday.

The closure of Australia’s borders during the first two years of the pandemic wiped out international tourism, and while numbers have picked up since the border reopened in February this year, they remain well below previous years.

In August, there were just under 348,500 short-term trips recorded. It’s the biggest month so far since the borders reopened for tourists, but nearly 56 per cent lower than the August 2019 levels of 789,200. December 2019 had nearly 1.1 million short-term visitors arrive in Australia.

Australia’s top five countries for short-stay visitors are New Zealand, India, Singapore, the US and the UK. Viewing events for the global launch will be held in Tokyo, Singapore, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris and London when the launch goes live on Thursday in New York.

The campaign was soft-launched in Tokyo and Seoul last week by Farrell, who said the ads will stand out amid myriad countries competing for post-pandemic tourists.

“Come and Say G’day is an iconic Australian welcome, and the use of some of the most recognisable and stunning scenery will remind the world why Australia is the best place to take a holiday,” he said.

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