On 19 Jan, the Australian Government announced they will spend $79 million on marketing to boost visits to Australia in the wake of the bushfire crisis.
The tourism recovery package is part of the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund the Federal Government has put forward to help communities recover from the devastating impact of the fires.
After imagery of the bushfires went viral across social media—which some critics claim misrepresent the impact of the disaster—the tourism industry has recorded a significant decrease in bookings.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said coverage of the bushfires has cost the tourism industry “hundreds of millions” of dollars as the industry now faces “its biggest challenge in living memory.”
The tourism recovery package is broken down into six parts, according to Tourism Australia.
- A domestic marketing campaign ($20 million)
- Increased funds for Tourism Australia to carry out an international marketing campaign ($25 million)
- Increased funds for Tourism Australia’s International Media Hosting Program ($9.5 million)
- Increased support and funding for the Australian Tourism Exchange ($6.5 million)
- A regional tourism events initiative ($10 million)
- Funding to support the mobilisation of global diplomatic network ($5 million)
An overview on each initiative is available on Tourism Australia’s website, but specific details are yet to be announced.
