Movie boosts holidays to Australia

Film epic Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, could boost the number of international visitors to the country, according to tourism chiefs.

Film epic Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, could boost the number of international visitors to the country, according to tourism chiefs.

Tourism NT (Northern Territory) told ABC that Tourism Australia estimates around 20 million people have now seen the movie and many of them may choose to book holidays to Australia as a result.

Maree Tetlow of Tourism NT explained during an event in Darwin that Tourism Australia had analysed the marketing outcomes of the Baz Luhrman film.

“The people that have seen the movie are much more predisposed to visiting Australia as a result of that than those that haven’t seen it,” she said, adding that industry indications pointed towards “increased awareness and interest” in the “top end” of the country.

Australia is set during World War II and depicts a love story between an English aristocrat who inherits a cattle station in the Northern Territory and a drover.

Tourism Australia launched a campaign in October 2008 in association with director Baz Luhrmann to promote the country as a travel destination alongside the film.