There’s nothing quite like an Ashes summer to remind Britain of two inescapable truths: Australians take their cricket seriously, and we also take enormous delight in reminding the Old Dart that we happen to have considerably better weather. This week, Tourism Australia has seized that golden overlap with a fresh campaign aimed squarely at British viewers, rugged up on the couch while Pat Cummins and his team stride about under a blazing Australian sun.
The new push, cheekily titled “Howzat for a Holiday?” beams across English TV screens and online platforms for the duration of the Ashes series. It stars Australian Test captain Pat Cummins alongside Ruby the Kangaroo, who has emerged as Tourism Australia’s most unlikely celebrity diplomat since the days when Paul Hogan dangled a prawn over a barbecue.
The campaign invites the UK to “Come and Say G’day”, not merely as spectators of cricketing theatre but as potential holidaymakers enticed by the promise of warmth, wilderness and wide horizons.
A Timely Reminder for a Chilly UK Audience
Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said the Ashes presented a natural opportunity to rekindle British wanderlust at precisely the moment when viewers most envy their sporting heroes.
“English cricket fans are travelling to Australia in their tens of thousands to enjoy our iconic Summer and watch the Ashes series, but there are many millions back in the UK who will be tuning in to watch on TV,” he said.
“While they are rugged up on a cold English night, we will be there to remind them what Australia has to offer as a holiday destination.”
For a nation accustomed to grey skies and drizzle, the imagery is potent: sun-splashed beaches, technicolour reefs, towering eucalypts and the odd kangaroo hopping past as if to underline the point.
Farrell added that the series has always brought out “the best of our sporting spirit,” noting that the campaign aims to package that same energy into a compelling call to action: cheer on your team, then book your seat on the next Australia-bound flight.
A Scenic Parade of Australia’s Greatest Hits
The ad itself reads like a highlight reel for travellers. It begins at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Ashes’ spiritual colosseum, and closes on Sydney’s Palm Beach, with quickfire detours to the Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island, and Margaret River.
If the intention is to make UK viewers contemplate swapping their winter coats for board shorts, it’s a shrewd one.
Tourism Australia Acting Managing Director Robin Mack said the Ashes was too powerful a moment to ignore.
“The Ashes is an unmissable event for cricket fans in the UK so we know their focus will be firmly on Australia from the time the first ball is bowled in Perth until the last wicket is taken at the final Test in Sydney.”
With eight weeks of near-continuous exposure, Mack said the agency had been handed “a captive audience” and intended to make full use of it.
“Our Howzat for a Holiday? campaign will air between overs, and we are confident that after seeing what Australia has to offer to holidaymakers again and again, UK travellers will be inspired to have an Australian adventure of their own.”
A Playbook That’s Proven Its Mettle
Tourism Australia has made something of an art form out of tapping into major sporting events. The marketing team ran a similar strategy during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and again during the British & Irish Lions tour earlier this year. Each time, the pitch was simple and effective: if international viewers are already watching Australia on screen, show them even more of it.
A version of the same campaign also ran in India during the Summer of Cricket, where it racked up an astonishing 100 million views, proving that the formula travels well.
A Market That Still Punches Above Its Weight
The UK remains one of Australia’s most reliable tourism markets, sitting fourth in overall visitor arrivals. In the 12 months to June 2025, British travellers poured more than $5 billion into the Australian economy, a number that would make any state treasurer sit up straight.
With that kind of contribution, the new campaign isn’t just sun-drenched tourism whimsy; it’s a carefully timed investment in a market that knows Australia well, travels widely once here, and tends to return again and again.
And if a reminder delivered between overs helps nudge a few more holiday bookings across the line, Cricket Australia might not be the only winner this summer.
By Alison Jenkins – (c) 2025
Read Time: 3 minutes.
About the Writer
Alison Jenkins has spent much of her career at thirty thousand feet or at least close to it. Having worked in several sales roles with several airlines, she built a reputation for knowing her clients and flight schedules. Quick with a smile and sharper still with a deal, she became one of those rare people who could charm passengers and partners without losing her professional edge.
Trade shows and FAMILS were all part of the territory, and Alison became a regular on the circuit, with suitcases, smiles, and a notepad never far from reach. Somewhere between airport lounges and hotel lobbies, she discovered she loved telling the stories behind the journeys. Her post-FAMILS reports, meant for internal newsletters, began to take on a life of their own, lively, observant, and unmistakably hers.
That’s when Alison realised, she wasn’t just selling travel, she was meant to write about it.
