11 December 2017

134k international youth travellers are choosing to visit SA, up 5.1% on previous years.

The stunning coastline, unbeatable local produce and unique wildlife of South Australia’s Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Nullarbor, will soon be making headlines around the world thanks to a new $5m campaign launched by Tourism Australia - aimed at luring more young travellers and working holiday makers down under.

Broadcasting fun and uplifting Aussie stories from around the country, Tourism Australia’s tonguein-cheek news channel, Aussie News Today, will start broadcasting from South Australia this week.

The news channel’s roving reporters, Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins, Teigan Nash and Lincoln Lewis, will spend a week in the state where their assignments will include exploring Adelaide’s secret laneways, swimming with sea lions and meeting the local wildlife in Port Lincoln, sampling the freshest seafood in Whyalla and teeing off at the world’s longest golf range in Nullarbor.

No stranger to the area, Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins describes South Australia as a place with so much to offer that you plan to visit for a weekend but end up staying for weeks.

“My travel itinerary here in South Australia is an absolute ripper and I can see why young travellers are choosing to visit. Reporting for Aussie News Today I can’t wait to get chummy with sharks and sea lions in Port Lincoln, tuck into some seafood while I’m in Whyalla, and put my golf swing to the test on Nullarbor’s epic golf range. It should be a cracker of a trip!”

Tourism Australia Managing Director, John O’Sullivan, said that Aussie News Today aims to capture and share many of the unique attractions and life-changing experiences available to young travellers and working holidaymakers across the length and breadth of the country.

“We want to put a smile on young people's faces by finding and sharing fun and uplifting stories from across Australia, showing the world why our country is the perfect place for young travellers to visit. Regional Australia is such a big part of our youth story and it’s great to see local tourism operators in Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Nullarbor playing such a prominent role in our latest campaign and to have the South Australian Tourism Commission on board.”

Mr O’Sullivan urged local people to get involved and help put South Australia on the map. “Nobody tells Australia’s story better than the people who live here, which is why we are want locals to share their Aussie News content, which they can do by using the hashtag #AussieNewsToday.”

Home to some of the best youth experiences in the country, South Australia has seen a 5.1 per cent growth in young international visitors in the past year.

Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. Steven Ciobo MP said that young travellers under 30 are a critically important part of Australia's visitor mix.

“Youth travellers are vital to the growth of Australia’s regional tourism businesses. Forty-three cents in every tourism dollar is spent in regional Australia and this is even more pronounced for youth.

Young people tend to stay longer, spend more and travel further in the search for unique and exciting experiences, and country Australia has those in abundance.”

“This campaign will shine a light on the incredible and diverse adventures you can have here and will encourage youth in the important markets of the UK, Italy, Germany and France to make Australia their next holiday destination,” he said.

Australians, Australian tourism businesses and visiting holidaymakers are encouraged to submit news ideas via #AussieNewsToday, and visit Australia.com for the best itineraries and Aussie News Today updates.

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For more information contact:

Leo Seaton
Tourism Australia
+61 447 463197
lseaton@tourism.australia.com

Social Handles:

Aussie News Today
Instagram – www.instagram.com/aussienewstoday
Facebook – www.facebook.com/aussienewstoday
Hashtag – #AussieNewsToday

Tourism Australia
Instagram – www.instagram.com/australia
Facebook – www.facebook.com/seeaustralia
Twitter – www.twitter.com/australia and www.twitter.com/tourismaus
Hashtag – #seeaustralia