As state leaders around the country begin to ease lockdown restrictions, many Australians are itching to take a break from home and book a holiday.
But with international travel off the cards for the foreseeable future, all eyes are on where and what to see in our own backyard.
From the coast to the country, local popular getaways will be the holiday destination for many Australians in the months ahead.
To get you back in the travel mood, Tourism Australia have announced a new series of virtual activities to help get Australians thinking about their next break.
The new Tourism Australia campaign will have you wanting to plan your next holiday at home.Source:News Regional Media
Dubbed the ‘Live From Aus’ campaign, the series will kick off on Friday May 15 with a one-hour TV special in conjunction with The Project on Network Ten.
From Saturday morning, the campaign will be streamed on Tourism Australia’s social media pages, featuring well-known Aussies shining a light on different travel experiences.
Luke Zocchi, right, will be taking viewers through a session he normally runs with his mate and client Chris Hemsworth from Byron Bay.Source:Supplied
First up, you’ll be breaking a sweat with Chris Hemsworth’s personal trainer Luke Zocchi from his home town in Byron Bay. For breakfast, chef Guy Turland will be showing viewers how to make the best brekkie bowl from Bondi to refuel.
And then celebrity chef Matt Moran will be hosting a dinner party live from Sydney.
“We have enlisted Chris’ crack team to take people through a 25 minute workout,” Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison told news.com.au.
“Trainer Luke Zocchi will be in Byron Bay and Dan Churchill will be in New York. The workout is designed to be inclusive … destinations will be on show, but there will be content viewers can consume and interact with.”
Other events include an underwater Great Barrier Reef tour in Queensland, a crocodile encounter with Matt Wright from Darwin and there will be a chance to dance along with The Wiggles.
Chef Matt Moran will host a dinner party on Saturday night. Picture: Toby ZernaSource:News Corp Australia
Ms Harrison said the weekend was designed to provide people with ideas for when the travel restrictions lift by showing off Australia’s wildlife, landscapes, food and wine and indigenous arts and cultural experiences.
“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,” she said.
“While people can’t travel right now, they can certainly dream and plan for those holidays to come. As Australians start to look at travel again with rising optimism, the opportunity is domestic. While most Aussies have their favourite destinations, what we need to do is show them areas they may not know about.
“Australia has such a diverse range of habitats and experiences in those destinations, so it’s important to show the depth and breadth of Australia.”
An underwater tour of the Great Barrier Reef. Picture: Tourism Port Douglas and DaintreeSource:Supplied
Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said that travel within Australia will be crucial to the overall economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, encouraging Australians to start thinking about where they’d like to visit in their own backyard.
“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 said.
“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.
Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said local travel will be crucial to the overall economic recovery in Australia. Picture: IstockSource:istock
Ms Harrison expects lesser known regions to be popular with travellers this year, with Australian’s looking for open spaces to explore.
“Our insights suggest there’s an appetite for Aussies to explore lesser known regional area,” she said.
“People will want to jump in their car and explore some of our incredible regional areas like the Kimberleys, parts of Northern Queensland and regional Western Australia. I think it’s no coincidence these are big wide open spaces, which is what people are really craving.”
You can see the full itinerary and join the Facebook ‘Live from Aus’ event page where the program of content will be streamed.
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