(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 17, 2009 ) Australia - Touted to be one of the biggest ever boosts for Australian tourism, Baz Luhrmann’s latest blockbuster, Australia, has got a job on its hands - tourist numbers to the country are falling steadily and the tourist board is straining to keep the tourist market - which is so key to Australia’s economy - above water...

I finally saw Baz Luhrmann’s Australia over the weekend, having read a series of truly awful reviews.

Yes, there were moments of cringeworthy blockbuster-ishness, but overall it was a fabulous three hour escape from reality. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the colours of the unforgiving Australian outback made a stunning backdrop.

This film has single handedly done more for Australian tourism than any of the multi-million dollar campaigns that the tourist office has created over the past few years, including that appalling ‘Where the bloody hell are ya,’ campaign, which only succeeded in putting people off.

Twenty five years ago, the ‘Come and Say G’day,’ tourist campaign built around Paul Hogan, the star of Crocodile Dundee, brought hoards of visitors swarming to Australia.

Keen to recreate this success, the Government run Tourism Australia has injected a whopping £16 million into a campaign linked to the new Luhrmann film, in the hope that it will help boost the ailing tourist market.

Australia has been straining to build its visitor numbers in recent years.

One problem, according to Nick Baker, Marketing Manager of Tourism Australia, is that the country is suffering from a ‘lack of fashionability and buzz.’

Tourism Australia commissioned Baz Lurhmann to film two travel commercials, set in the same northern Australian outback locations as his film.

Tourism Australia hopes that the commercials, which will run in 22 countries until mid-2009, will help it meet its target of raising visitor numbers by 3.2 per cent next year.

However, despite all the buzz surrounding the film, Australian tourism has an extremely tough year ahead, according to a new report.

The report, which was carried out by Tourism Australia, found that the value of inbound tourism is expected to drop by four per cent, which is equivalent to £244.5 million, making the total value £11.7 billion.

The drop in visitor numbers is being mainly attributed to the ongoing economic downturn. Tourist numbers are predicted to fall from 5.56 million to 5.33 million, with this year shaping up to be the worst in terms of tourism since 1989, according to the report.

Tourism Australia’s Tourism Forecasting Committee Chairman Bernard Salt said that less Australians were also travelling overseas.

“There is no doubt that tourism operators who are heavily reliant on international tourism are in for a tough time in 2009,” he said.

As a result of the report’s findings, acting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is urging Australians to holiday at home in 2009 to fill the void left by a lack of overseas tourists.

“The message from the Australian Government is very clear," she told reporters in Melbourne,” said Ms Gillard.

“There's never been a better time to holiday at home in Australia.

“This is a nation with world-class tourist attractions and it is a great time to take holidays at home,” she added.

For more information on Australian properties and the market in general, please visit http://australia.themovechannel.com/

-ENDS-

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