The campaign will coincide with a major new documentary about the Great Barrier Reef presented by Sir David Attenborough which received high acclaim at its special pre-screening last night at the Australian High Commission in London.
Marine environments have always played an important role in Australia's international marketing but now they will take centre stage with the documentary bringing the beauty of the Reef to the world.
Australia has world-class marine attractions, including reef environments, beaches, marine wildlife and tropical islands, and the Government is determined to make the most of this by showcasing them internationally.
Research shows our marine environments are one of the main reasons international tourists choose to visit Australia but we face growing competition from destinations like South Africa and the United States.
This campaign builds on the Government's targeted efforts to meet the 2020 growth targets and the evidence is in that our efforts are already paying dividends.
Results from Tourism Research Australia's International Visitor Survey, released yesterday, show spending has reached a new high of $34.8 billion, an increase of 13 per cent or $4.1 billion over the year, which is the strongest growth seen since 2001. International visitor arrivals increased 7 per cent to 6.7 million while nights were up 10 per cent, reaching 242 million during the year ending September 2015.
The Government's program of visa reform and more targeted international marketing are helping boost demand while measures to increase investment and develop tourism infrastructure are expanding supply.
The coastal and aquatic campaign includes print, broadcast, cinema and digital advertisements and will begin just weeks after Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough goes to air.
Tourism operators will be able to submit photographic, video, film and social media content to feature in the multi-platform campaign commencing in key markets early next year.
Tourism operators can submit content to Tourism Australia via social media and the best examples will be curated and featured across campaign platforms. The industry will also be able to access campaign assets from Tourism Australia for individual marketing efforts.
More information is available from the Tourism Australia website.
