UK travellers will be invited to Come and Say G’day throughout the upcoming Ashes series with a campaign launching in the UK this week featuring Australian Test cricket captain Pat Cummins and Ruby the Kangaroo.

The 'Howzat for a holiday?' creative will run on TV screens and online during the Ashes series to remind the UK about the world-class destinations and experiences Australia has to offer.

Sydney's Palm Beach has a starring role in the campaign, ahead of the New Year's Test being held at Sydney Cricket Ground, proudly supported by Destination NSW.

This is not the first time Tourism Australia has capitalised on the international spotlight generated by hosting a major sporting event. The marketing agency successfully took a similar approach with the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and the British & Irish Lions tour earlier this year.

A version of 'Howzat for a holiday?' also ran in India throughout the last Summer of Cricket, when the Indian cricket team toured.

The activity that ran in India was viewed around 100 million times.

The UK is Australia’s fourth largest market in terms of visitor arrivals, with visitors from the UK contributing more than $5 billion to the national economy in the 12 months to June 2025.

The UK was among the top 10 international source markets for NSW that saw visitation surpass 2019 levels in September 2025, with 15,790 arrivals (compared to 13,960 in September 2019).

The Sydney hotel market experienced a significant jump in performance during the British and Irish Lions Tour according to data from real estate analytics provider CoStar.

More than 40,000 international fans are estimated to have travelled to Australia for the tour.

Hotel occupancy rose to at 92.9 per cent on Saturday, 2 August, for the Lions versus Wallabies Test at Accor Stadium.

Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said: “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.

“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.

"The Ashes brings out the best of our sporting spirit, and we’re excited to share that with fans from across the UK. There’s never been a better time to cheer on your team, book a holiday and experience what makes Australia truly unique."

Tourism Australia Acting Managing Director Robin Macksaid: “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.

“That gives us at Tourism Australia a captive audience in a key tourism market for around eight weeks, and we will be making the most of that opportunity with a special instalment of our Come and Say G’day campaign.

“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.”