Robert Irwin attends The TikTok Awards in Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 27, 2024. Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson, Chinese actor Yosh Yu, and other international stars have been unveiled as the new faces to lure overseas tourists Down Under.
Videos featuring these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes will be part of the federal government’s latest tourism campaign aimed at attracting travellers from the UK, United States, China, Japan, and India.
Robert Irwin, the son of the late Australian wildlife icon Steve Irwin, will front the advertisement for the American market.
Wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will appear in ads for India, while Chinese actor Yosh (Shi) Yu, the UK’s Lawson, and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will feature in commercials airing in their respective home countries.
The $130 million campaign expands on Tourism Australia’s “Come and Say G’day” initiative, which introduced the beloved animated mascot Ruby the Roo.
In the video, an American tourist loses his phone in the desert—only to be rescued by Irwin.
“G’day mate, just going for a stroll?” Irwin greets him.
Looking defeated, the tourist responds, “An emu took my phone.”
Irwin grins and says, “Well, we better go find it.”
Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said traditionally, tourism campaigns use one famous face across all markets.
“But for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia,” Harrison said.
“These international stars combine with local talent … to create bespoke invitations for five markets.”
Tourism Recovery in Australia
Since the resumption of global travel, Australia’s domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029.
More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism, while Chinese travellers remain Australia’s second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The advertisements will go live in China on TV and online from Aug. 7.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs,” said Tourism Minister Don Farrell.
Nonetheless, industry experts have expressed caution about over-relying on China.
“China’s slowing economic growth, youth unemployment, and property sector instability could hinder outbound travel demand. A weaker yuan may reduce international travel spend,” said Janene Wardrop, principal of event planning business Ascot Event Management, in a previous interview with The Epoch Times.
Wardrop stated that the three main risks of over-relying on the China market are strategic, economic, and geopolitical.
“AUST needs to ensure there is diversification,” she wrote.
“AUST needs to ensure they support the China market whilst also building resilience by building their tourism market by product diversification, risk scenario planning, market diversification and to create constructive and culturally tailored marketing to Tier 2/3 cities.
“Priority should be on quality over quantity and attract high-yield, low-impact travellers.”
AAP contributed to this report.
