Fraser Coast front and centre for international youth campaign

A new campaign to keep Australia front and centre as a memorable destination will see young travellers visit regional areas, including the Fraser Coast.

Federal Member for Hinkler and Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Keith Pitt launched the Aussie News Today (ANT) campaign in Sydney today, alongside The Honey Badger and actor and former Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis.

“Tourism as a whole is very important to regional Australia, with 43 cents in every dollar going to regional Australia. Youth in particular are important to regional Australia, because they stay longer, spend more and go further than other travelers.

“Australia has so many wonderful things to offer and it’s great to see so many young people still consider an Australian working holiday a rite of passage,” Mr Pitt said.

The Honey Badger, Nick Cummins, Lincoln Lewis and television presenter Teigan Nash will lead the ANT news team, travelling and reporting on the best news from all over Australia.

As part of the campaign, Tourism Australia has launched a content partnership with BuzzFeed, and ran a competition for eight young people from the UK, Italy, France and Germany to come to Australia.

Mr Pitt said one of the winners – Nick Arnold, a 28-year-old from the United Kingdom – will travel to the Fraser Coast later this year.

“The ‘BuzzFeed Mates’ will travel around Australia in campervans for three months and capture content which will be shared across BuzzFeed platforms and through TA social and digital channels in English, German, French and Italian.

“I am confident that the tourism industry will embrace this campaign and embrace the young talent who are promoting this campaign.

“I encourage the industry to get involved with the campaign, submit your stories and tell the world why young people should come and experience your patch of Australia,” he said.

FAST FACTS:

• Young travellers aged 18-30 make up a quarter of all international arrivals to Australia and almost half of all visitor spend.

• The average young person who comes to Australia on a Working Holiday Maker visa

• Youth tend to be repeat visitors, with 52 per cent coming back again after their first trip.