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Summary Australia launched a multi-million dollar global tourism campaign in Shanghai on Monday.
Australia said it will spend A$170 million (US$164 million) over the next three years to boost tourism with officials choosing the Chinese city to kick-off the Nothing Like Australia campaign.China is already Australias fastest growing and most valuable international tourism market, worth more than A$3.8 billion in 2011, but officials have said it could be worth up to A$9 billion a year by the end of the decade.Using fresh imagery of some of Australias most appealing attractions is an integral part of a long-term strategy to grow our $73.3 billion tourism industry, Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said.Attracting visitors to Australia ... we have to constantly remind international visitors that Australia possesses tourism attractions, products and experiences that are amongst the best in the world.The campaign was launched in China as part of Australias plan to tap the countrys fast-growing second-tier cities to boost revenue and will also be taken to Britain and the United States.Currently, its focus is the big three centres of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.But growing middle and upper classes outside these places is seeing Australia turn its attention to cities such as Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Nanjing.Tourism Australias managing director, Andrew McEvoy, said China could deliver around 900,000 annual visitors to Australia worth up to A$9 billion a year by the end of the decade.As well as television commercials and print advertising, the campaign boasts a strong digital and social media focus, and will leverage Tourism Australias three million Facebook fans.
