The holiday memories of First Nations actor Thomas Weatherall's travels through Australia will be used in an upcoming global tourism campaign.
Tourism Australia's second chapter of its global Come and say G'day campaign will be broadcast to key international tourism markets from Thursday, with Indigenous experiences and storytelling central to the sell.
Brand ambassador Ruby the Kangaroo returns for the second chapter of Tourism Australia's Come and say G'day campaign, which builds on the successful October 2022 launch and brings to life lasting memories of an Australian holiday through the eyes of personalities and real-life travellers.
Mr Weatherall, an Australian actor and Kamilaroi man, is joined in the campaign by other talent well-known to audiences in key global markets, such as wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin (USA), food writer and TV cook Nigella Lawson (UK), actor Yosh Yu (China), entrepreneur and philanthropist Sara Tendulkar (India), and media personality and comedian Abareru-kun (Japan).
"Nothing quite beats the feeling of coming home to Australia," Mr Weatherall told National Indigenous Times.
"In Kamilaroi culture, passing down stories about our Country is incredibly important and I'm thrilled I can work with Tourism Australia and help share over 60,000 years of the world's oldest continuous culture with the world."
The actor and playwright – who features at the start and end of the campaign – said he loved travelling as part of his job, but always looked forward to returning home, when he often visited Tasmania, the destination of his first-ever solo trip a few years ago, which sparked an ongoing obsession with the Apple Isle.
"I will remember forever my first trip to Tasmania… it was a couple years ago now, but it was also my first solo, independent trip, not with my friends or my family," the 24-year-old told National Indigenous Times.
"I rented a car and just explored the whole island the best I could in two weeks, driving from the south and right up to the top end."
The actor tries to visit Tasmania at least once or twice every year now.
"I can't quite shake Tasmania… every few kilometres it feels like you are entering another country, another world; it was forests, into beautiful lakes, into dry lands."
First Nations elements of the campaign began pre-production, with Aboriginal-owned consultancy YarnnUp guiding cultural representation for Tourism Australia, providing advice on creative development, production, and international launch events to ensure authentic First Nations inclusion.
Aboriginal storytelling is also a cornerstone of the ads, emphasising the power of shared memories to keeping the holiday spirit alive with international visitors once they return home.
Scenes with Indigenous cultural guides onboard Great Barrier Reef tour Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel, developed in consultation with Flynn Reef Traditional Owners the Gunggandji people – including Elder Dr Darryl Murgha – also feature in the campaign.
Federal Tourism minister Don Farrell said tourism was the lifeblood of many communities across the nation and created hundreds of thousands of jobs.
"Come and say G'day is bringing more visitors to our shores, creating more jobs and growing our economy," Senator Farrell said.
The campaign drops as recent Tourism Research Australia data showed visitor expenditure in the 12 months to March 2025 reached a record $52.6 billion, with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026, growing to 11.8 million in 2029.
Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said the latest Come and say G'day campaign would help Australia remain front of mind for tourists considering their travel options in the competitive global market.
"Tourism campaigns traditional leverage one famous face across every market, but our latest campaign sees Ruby be joined by well-known talent from five different markets, to showcase personal and lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," she said.
"These international stars create bespoke invitations for five markets, tailored for each country to showcase the sort of tourism experiences travellers are looking for."
The campaign was one of several marketing levers Tourism Australia employed in key markets across the world to help tourism operators increase international business.
Since October 2022, consideration for an Australian holiday had increased 10 per cent in the US, UK and China, flight searches for Australia jumped 22 per cent, and there were more first-time arrivals to Australia from travellers in key markets.
The first launch will take place in China on Thursday, followed by India in late August, the US, UK, Japan and Germany in September and South Korea in November.