Tourism Australia has announced that they’ve temporarily pulled an ad promoting Aussie travel in Britain as the bushfires continue to devastate the country.
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The $15m Matesong campaign was fronted by Kylie Minogue and included a bunch of other local legends including Adam Hill, Andy Saunders, Ash Barty, Darren Robertson, Ian Thorpe, Jeff Bennett, Jordan and Zac Stenmark, Kevin Kropinyeri, Magdalena Roze, Reggie and Cassidy Uluru, Sean Choolburra and, last but definitely not least, Shane Warne.
Months in the making, the ad was launched in the UK before the Queen’s Christmas address on 25 December.
But as the severity of the bushfires became more extreme, controversy began to surround the ad as it showcases Sydney’s clear skies stunning bush locations and cuddly koalas, all of which are currently under threat.
In a statement, Tourism Australia said their biggest priority is the emergency response to the fires, and the safety of communities and tourists.
“In light of the current situation in Australia, we have reduced some of our campaign activity in the UK. We will continue to review our planned activity over the coming weeks and months,” a spokesperson told Mumbrella in a statement.
“As the Australian Government agency responsible for attracting tourists to our country, Tourism Australia will have an important role to play in highlighting that Australia will continue to be a world-leading and safe tourism destination, whether in unaffected regions or those that will recover from these bushfires in the months and years to come.”
In an earlier statement about the bushfires, Tourism Australia pointed out that there are many areas safe from the fires.
“Whilst bushfires continue to impact parts of Australia, many areas are unaffected and most tourism businesses are still open.
“It is more important than ever that we rally around our communities and the tourism sector who may have been impacted,” the statement said.
They also urged tourists travelling to Australia to look up the most up-to-date safety information beforehand.
