Aussies urged to give the gift of travel in new Tourism Australia campaign via M&C Saatchi

Australians are being encouraged to give the gift of travel this festive season with a new campaign aimed at inspiring travellers to help give back to operators and communities across the country during what is typically their busiest period by booking a tourism experience in the latest marketing push via M&C Saatchi Sydney.

With domestic travel restrictions continuing to ease, the latest campaign from Tourism Australia urges those who have the means to, to take the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones while enjoying one of the many experiences on offer across Australia, from a city staycation to a winery tour, a surf lesson or a wellness retreat.

The ‘Holiday Gifting’ campaign is the latest iteration of Tourism Australia’s Holiday Here This Year initiative, which aims to stimulate demand across the sector by getting Australians travelling safely across the country and booking holiday experiences.

Australians took 16.4 million domestic overnight leisure trips over last year’s traditional holiday period in December and January, spending $12.8 billion, which represents one fifth of total annual domestic holiday expenditure.

Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said gifting a tourism experience would provide an opportunity for people to spend quality time with loved ones, while also providing a much needed boost for Australia’s hard-hit tourism industry.

Says Birmingham: “Australia is lucky enough to be home to some of the most unique and wonderful experiences, but with many of our top attractions most popular with international visitors, we need Australians to help fill the void until our international borders re-open again.

“As we head into the peak travel period and with many Australians preparing to jet set across the country, I encourage people to consider booking an experience that they can share with their friends and family over the holiday period.

“This upcoming holiday season is the perfect opportunity to spend time with loved ones and have a cracking time, by booking one of the incredible tourism experiences on offer around Australia such as a cooking lesson, a whale-watching expedition, a diving experience or a whisky tasting tour.

“People should book with confidence, knowing that should something unfortunate happen, tourism operators and businesses have adapted to these times by changing their terms and conditions around refunds and credits.

“By visiting a tourist attraction or an experience you will be supporting tourism jobs and also the thousands of tourism businesses across Australia that have done it so incredibly tough this year.”

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said that the recent re-opening of key borders meant that the latest phase of its Holiday Here This Year campaign was able to feature every Australian state and territory: “This is such a special time of the year to connect with our family and friends. And after the year we’ve had – with lockdowns, working from home and physical distancing – we know there’s a lot of Australians out there just itching to get out and spend quality time with those most close to them.

“What better way to capture the rising optimism we’re seeing at the moment, as travel restriction ease and borders re-open again, than by gifting a holiday or a holiday experience. And what better gift shop than Australia itself.

“The memories wrapped up in an Australian holiday are priceless, and the benefits that flow through to our tourism operators and the communities that they support are enormous.”

Says Susan Coghill, chief marketing officer, Tourism Australia: “The holiday season is typically a time of year when many marketers look to tap into consumer sentiment with gifting ideas.

“Given the unusual circumstances of this year, where so many people have had to put travel plans on hold, we know that travel is the number one thing people want to do as they reconnect with family and friends in different parts of the country.

“So we really want to tap into the idea that instead of giving loved ones the usual gifts of socks or scented candles we are urging people to consider giving the gift of travel this is a holiday season – and in turn give inspiration to create lasting memories through travel.”

The ‘Holiday Gifting’ campaign will be rolled out across a range of channels including radio, out of home, social media and digital, with assets also being made available to industry to use in their own marketing initiatives.

Tourism Australia also continues to provide consumers with the practical resources and inspiration they need to book a holiday and travel safely around Australia, with tailored content, itineraries, and industry offers on Australia.com.