During the bushfire crisis, we developed our bushfire information and impacted areas map, which became a key resource for both industry and consumers. Hosted on australia.com, the map highlighted popular tourism destinations in Australia and indicated whether they were impacted by fires. We developed a second map – the Australian travel status map – in response to COVID-19. This map has been designed to help industry and consumers navigate the ever-changing travel and border restrictions between each state and territory. Both resources have been widely used and well received. We also created a hub on the corporate site that links to all the government support options available for businesses in the wake of the bushfires and COVID-19.

Throughout both crises, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, communicated directly with industry, initially through weekly emails sharing key information, advice and insights. This engagement increased during COVID-19 as social distancing measures were introduced and increasing numbers of people began working remotely. Tourism Australia launched its industry webinar series during this time along with the Managing Director’s fortnightly industry update videos.

The Tourism Australia Industry Relations team undertook direct outreach with industry during the bushfires, presented at bushfire recovery summits in affected regions and encouraged operators to leverage the Holiday Here This Year campaign in their own businesses. During COVID-19, the team engaged directly with over 300 key industry stakeholders as well as presenting at key industry webinars. By collating insights and monitoring sentiment, the team ensured the voice of industry was heard and fed into Tourism Australia’s strategic planning and the Government’s ongoing recovery processes.