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.

Tourism figures continue to soar around the globe

International tourism is on track to reach 65% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022 as the travel industry continues to bounce back from the pandemic.

An estimated 700 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September, more than double (+133%) the number recorded for the same period in 2021.

This equates to 63% of 2019 levels and puts the sector on course to reach 65% of its pre-pandemic levels this year, in line with United Nations World Tourism Organisation predictions.

The UNWTO said results were boosted by strong pent-up demand, improved confidence levels and the lifting of restrictions in an increasing number of destinations.

Europe continues to lead the rebound. The continent welcomed 477 million international arrivals in January-September 2022 (68% of the world total), hitting 81% of pre-pandemic levels.

This was more than double that of 2021 (+126%) with results boosted by strong intra-regional demand and travel from the United States. Europe saw particularly robust performance in Q3, when arrivals reached almost 90% of 2019 levels.

At the same time, the Middle East saw international arrivals more than triple (+225%) year on year in January-September 2022, climbing to 77% of pre-pandemic levels.

Africa (+166%) and the Americas (+106%) also recorded strong growth compared to 2021, reaching 63% and 66% of 2019 levels, respectively. In Asia and the Pacific (+230%) arrivals more than tripled in the first nine months of 2022, reflecting the opening of many destinations, including Japan at the end of September.

Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific remained 83% below 2019 levels as China, a key source market for the region, remains closed.

Destinations reporting arrivals above pre-pandemic levels in the nine months through September include Albania, Ethiopia, Honduras, Andorra, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, El Salvador and Iceland.