Hemsworth adds Hollywood touch to Tourism Australia’s new campaign

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth will star in Tourism Australia’s imminent coastal and aquatic push, becoming a global ambassador for the campaign.

The “huge win” is expected to particularly boost the campaign in the US where the campaign will launch on Australia Day eve, with the premiere to be held in New York.

Hemsworth said he was looking forward to sharing with the world “just how amazing” Australia is.

“In Australia you’re surrounded by the most incredible natural beauty,” he said.

“Being in the water or near to it is a way of life for us.”

TA managing director John O’Sullivan said Hemsworth would add an “authentic Australian voice” to the new campaign.

“Chris truly embodies the Australian way of life and his love of his home country, with all its natural beauty makes him an ideal ambassador,” he said.

In welcoming the news, minister for tourism senator Richard Colbeck highlighted the diversity of Australia’s vast coastal offering which spreads across more than 30,000 kilometres.

“To have a high profile Australian actor such as Chris Hemsworth help share this message with the world is great news for Australian tourism, especially in USA which is now worth more than $3.1 billion annually to our economy,” he said.

“The USA has long been an important market for Australian tourism and the timing of the new campaign and Chris’ involvement seeks to further boost tourism from the USA at a time when Australia is seeing huge growth in the industry.”

The US is currently Australia’s fourth most significant inbound market. The last year has seen 595,000 Americans visit Australia – an increase of 8.5% on the previous 12 month period. The US is also the third largest international market for visitor expenditure with Americans spending a total $3.1 billion in the year to September.

“With new aviation capacity between Australia and the USA coming online this upward trend is expected to continue,” Colbeck said.

“Australian tourism in the US is already off to a strong start in 2016, having recently been named ‘Destination of the Year’ in the recent ‘Gold List’ edition of Condé Nast Traveler, one of America’s leading travel publications with a total readership of over 2.3 million.”

In further support of the campaign in the US, the Australian Government will hold its inaugural Australia-US Business Week in six cities across the country in February with Colbeck promising the event will include a strong tourism component.

“As part of the AUSBW program I will also be participating in the two-day Australian Tourism Summit, which will bring together more than 200 high-level tourism industry professionals involved in growing tourism from North America to Australia,” he said.

Tourism Australia chief marketing officer Lisa Ronson said the announcement marks the start of a “longer-term partnership” with Hemsworth with further plans to be developed after the New York launch.

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campaign Chris Hemsworth coastal marketing richard colbeck tourism tourism australia us