Tourism Australia will be transporting the country’s tourism offerings into the living rooms of hundreds of thousands of Australians with a curated live program of virtual travel experiences to inspire them to dream about their next domestic holiday.
Live From Aus is set to kick off on Friday, May 15 with a special one-hour broadcast at 7:30pm on The Project on Network Ten.,
The Love Australia Project, supported by Tourism Australia, will be headlined by entertainment personalities who will shine a spotlight on Australia's offerings.
“The Love Australia Project will take us for a ride through our own backyard and reconnect Aussies with the beauty that awaits us after lockdown," Network Ten head of programming Daniel Monaghan says.
“As we watch the world battle COVID 19, never has the phrase “there’s no place I’d rather be” rung more true for Australians. So while the international borders remain closed, let’s celebrate the island we live on, it truly is a fantastic place.”
For the entire weekend of May 16 and 17, Tourism Australia will be going live with exclusive travel experiences, broadcasting on the hour, every hour, to a potential audience of more than 13 million from across Australia and around the world.
The program of live events will include a dance party with The Wiggles, iconic workouts in Byron Bay, close crocodile encounters with the Outback Wrangler Matt Wright, pro golfing lessons and a dinner party with Matt Moran and friends.
It will kick off from 7am AEST on Saturday, May 16.
An ongoing streaming program from May 18 will reconnect Australians with their country’s unique wildlife, landscapes, food and drink, Indigenous, arts and cultural experiences through Tourism Australia’s digital and social media channels.
Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison says the broadcast and digital activation will help to further bring to life Tourism Australia’s With Love From Aus campaign created by M&C Saatchi, which has been rolling out across its social channels over the last month.
“Even though demand for travel is currently on hold and the timing of the recovery is still uncertain, it’s important that we don’t go quiet as a destination. While people can't travel right now, they can certainly dream and plan for those holidays to come,” Harrison says.
“The brands that continue to engage with their audiences in a crisis are the ones that tend to recover the fastest. Our marketing job right now is about keeping Australia front of mind for travellers by using this enforced period of self-isolation to engage with people in their living rooms, feed their escapism and inspire them to travel again once the restrictions start to lift.
“The With Love From Aus campaign is about providing a platform for our industry operators, tourism products and experiences to continue to connect with travel lovers and give them the ideas and inspiration to explore our incredible country when borders reopen, and people can travel again.”
The Live From Aus program will be hosted by an array of Australian personalities, advocates and industry operators who will educate, entertain and inspire viewers with a range of interactive experiences.
These experiences include cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, exercise classes, cultural immersion sessions, Australian wildlife encounters, and a live music program presented by Sounds Australia.
Tourism Australia chief marketing officer Susan Coghill says the campaign is all about bringing a little bit of Australia to people while they’re spending time at home.
“The Australian optimism is boundless and is just what the world needs right now. We will be collaborating with some of the country’s most inspiring creators, industry operators and advocates to bring the Aussie spirit into the living rooms of people around the country and the world, to get them dreaming and planning their Australian holiday,” Coghill says.
With live content viewing across digital and social media tripling over the past month and television viewership up 11% in Australia, Coghill says there was an opportunity for the tourism body to stay engaged with Australians.
"Over the last few months, consumer behaviour has expectedly shifted. The latest viewership figures show that more Australians are spending more time watching television, while social media and digital platforms are also experiencing a significant upswing in traffic, as people seek to ensure they remain connected and entertained as they spend more time at home," she says.
"Live From Aus deliberately taps into these trends, kick starting with an impactful broadcast event followed by a curated live-streamed program of incredible and inspiration content across our hugely popular social media platforms."
Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham says that restarting the tourism industry once restrictions were eased would be crucial to Australia’s overall economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
“The international border controls and restrictions that have helped to keep Australians safe are sadly inflicting enormous pain on tourism businesses all over Australia,” Minister Birmingham says.
“Australians may not be able to travel across our wide brown land at present, but those who can should definitely be dreaming and planning to tick off some bucket list items when it’s safe do so.
“Those able to take breaks once restrictions are eased should do so knowing they can enjoy the time of their lives while also helping to save the businesses or jobs of fellow Australians.
“COVID-19 may have taken some of the fun out of life right now, but soon Aussies will be able to experience the sumptuous food and wine, thrilling adventures, rich culture and beautiful nature that usually make us such a favourite destination with international visitors.”
The Live from Aus program schedule will be released on May 8.
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