Melbourne [Australia], November 21 : A new Tourism Australia advertising campaign was launched on Thursday ahead of this summer's Australia-India Test cricket series to encourage Indian travellers to plan and book an Australian holiday.
'Howzat for a holiday?' will go live in India ahead of the first Test in Perth beginning on Friday, and will run throughout the series to highlight Australia's world-class tourism destinations and experiences.
Australian Test cricket captain, Pat Cummins, has teamed up with Tourism Australia's brand ambassador, Ruby the Kangaroo, in a TV commercial featuring the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Cape Tribulation, Kangaroo Island, and Rottnest Island, as well as a game of beach cricket on Sydney's Palm Beach.
The commercial, which has been tailored for a projected Indian television audience of at least 50 million people, will also be supported by billboards, signage and print advertisements.
The number of Indian travellers visiting Australia already exceeds 2019 levels and, according to Tourism Research Australia, arrivals from India are forecast to double pre-pandemic levels by 2028.
'Howzat for a holiday?' builds on Tourism Australia's successful global campaign, Come and Say G'day, which continues to run in key tourism markets around the world.
It follows the successful Holiday Highlights campaign, run last year to showcase Australia to international audiences tuning in to watch the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell said, "With tens of millions of people across India tuning in to watch the Test cricket series here in Australia, we have an opportunity to showcase to a huge audience why there is no place like Australia for a holiday."
"Indian travellers are already visiting Australia in record numbers, and we expect even more in coming years, which is great news for our tourism industry. Howzat for a holiday? will screen in India during breaks in play throughout the five-Test series and remind Indian travellers there is so much more to see and do in Australia once the summer of cricket is over," he added.
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison said, "With a population of more than 1.4 billion people and more Indians looking to travel the potential in the Indian market is endless and we see the upcoming Test series as our chance to get on the front foot and promote our country to a captive TV audience."
"The Test series will attract enormous TV audiences of up to 50 million across India and tens of millions of those are high-yielding travellers who are in the market for an international holiday. "While we have their attention firmly on Australia for the cricket this is an unmissable chance to encourage those travellers to visit Australia and see what we have to offer as a holiday destination. The aviation links between India and Australia have never been stronger, the market was one of the first to fully recover after the pandemic and, according to forecasts, the number of Indians travelling to Australia will double 2019 levels by 2028. It will be a tough Test series for India on the field, but we are confident Indian travellers will still want to Come and Say G'day," he added.
Australian Test Captain, Pat Cummins said, "I am so excited to be part of Tourism Australia's latest campaign to invite Indian travellers to our backyard. Beyond the stands, there's loads on offer across the country for a memorable holiday. From our endless coastline to our unique animals and thriving restaurant scene - we can't wait to welcome you."
"Hitting the surf at my local Sydney beach followed by fish and chips on the sand with my family is one of my favourite Aussie summer pastimes," he signed off.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18. The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.