Speaking to Seatrade Insider today, Australia’s Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, said ‘the cruise ship industry is a very positive area of growth and benefit to Australia.’

Ferguson said he believes the soon-to-be-released Twentieth Century Fox Film ‘Australia’ will encourage international fly/float passengers to make longer pre- and post-cruise stopovers to explore the outback.

He was in Sydney to unveil a A$40m advertising campaign for Tourism Australia that piggybacks on the film that is set in the country’s most spectacular and remote locations and stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

The television commercials for the campaign, which will run in Tourism Australia’s 22 major markets, were created by the film’s Australian director, Baz Luhrmann, and go to air in the UK today.

The print ads feature every Australian state and territory and were produced in conjunction with DDB Worldwide, Tourism Australia’s new advertising agency.