The Federal Government will spend $60 million on a new campaign to get high-spending overseas tourists to return to Australia’s tourism attractions, according to reports.
A worldwide campaign will be anchored by images of Tropical North Queensland, the Gold Coast, the NSW North Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Great Ocean Road, The Whitsundays, and The Hunter Valley.
For the promotion of the Great Barrier Reef, the Queensland government will set aside a particular sum of $15 million for Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Scott Morrison is optimistic that the financing would help the sector “burst out of the blocks.”
In Cairns today, after his visit to Brisbane the day before, he said: “We need to convert that great affection that people from all over the globe feel for this nation and especially for Tropical North Queensland.” He had previously spoken in Brisbane.
The far north of Queensland was especially heavily struck by the epidemic, with an estimated 9000 employees in the area losing their employment as a result of the economic collapse.
While Australia closed its borders, the tourist industry suffered a monthly loss of $4 billion, according to industry estimates.
However, not everyone was pleased with the new advertising campaign.
“To be very honest, I believe it is an electoral trick,” a resident of Burleigh on the Gold Coast stated.
Environmentalists have taken advantage of the situation to raise awareness about the reef’s plight, which is deteriorating quickly as a result of climate change.
In the words of Dr Selina Ward, dean of the University of Queensland’s School of Biological Science, “there are very few locations left on the Great Barrier Reef that have not been affected by bleaching episodes.”
It’s time for governments to quit acting as if everything is OK.
“If we are not willing to phase out the use of fossil fuels, we must be prepared to lose the Great Barrier Reef,” says the author.
Mr Morrison reacted to the concerns raised by reiterating his confidence in the government’s ability to provide protection.
According to him, “we are the greatest reef managers in the world.”
Tony Fontes, a seasoned diver on the Great Barrier Reef, thinks the harm has already been done.
According to him, “There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your favorite dive locations perish in the process of being cooked.”
An airport employee expressed skepticism about whether $60 million would be sufficient to revitalize the tourist economy.