Our history
50 Years of Marketing Australia, Tourism Australia, Sydney, New South Wales © Tourism Australia
In 2017 Tourism Australia celebrated 50 years since the Australian Government established the Australian Tourist Commission, which later became Tourism Australia, to promote Australia to business and leisure travellers.
Over the past five decades Australia has grown from a destination attracting 220,000 overseas visitors and contributing $74 million annually to one that welcomed, in 2016, over eight million visitors a year who spent $39 billion.
Australia’s success as a destination has been built on the combination of our world class natural beauty and unique wildlife as well as our welcoming people and exceptional food and wine.
Today Tourism Australia’s marketing continues to capitalise on these advantages through the global campaign There’s nothing like Australia.
Tourism Australia has also embraced new technology, including virtual reality, to complement traditional broadcast, print and out of home advertising alongside a comprehensive global PR program.
Australia’s visitor mix has also evolved over the years from the UK, Europe, USA and New Zealand to the growing markets of Asia including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and China through the 2000s and in more recent times India and Indonesia.
A big part Australia’s tourism success however is a result of the passionate the people that work across the industry including: State and Territory Tourism Organisations, airlines, inbound tourism operators, travel wholesalers, Australian tourism product and the vast network of Aussie Specialist travel agents at the front line of selling Australia to the world.
