Jessica Mauboy made Friend of Australia

I am pleased to announce Australian singer-songwriter and actress Jessica Mauboy has been made a Friend of Australia, to help share Australia's Aboriginal culture and traditions with the world.

Since Jessica's initial foray into fame in the 2006 Australian Idol competition, she has had 19 Top 30 hit singles, toured with the likes of Beyonce and starred in internationally celebrated films such as Bran Nue Day and The Sapphires. In 2014, Jessica made history as the first non-European solo artist to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest and will represent Australia in the upcoming 2018 contest.

Jessica recently performed at the 15th anniversary G'Day USA Gala in Los Angeles and has a cameo appearance in Tourism Australia's most recent Dundee campaign in the United States, with Chris Hemsworth, Danny McBride and Paul Hogan.

Mauboy's appointment coincides with Tourism Australia's recent review of Aboriginal marketing activities and the launch of new consumer and trade marketing opportunities for businesses with Aboriginal experiences.

A key outcome of Tourism Australia's review is the new collective Discover Aboriginal Experiences, which is part of the organisation's Signature Experiences of Australia program.

Having passionate and genuine advocates for Australia is an important part of telling Australia's story in an authentic way. Jessica is not only incredibly talented, she is also able to provide a unique perspective of Australia that will resonate with consumers in our key tourism markets.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences features 39 export-ready tourism businesses with over 180 experiences from around Australia. These experiences are guided by Aboriginal people who share personal stories to bring the landscape and their culture to life. Tourism Australia will promote these businesses through a range of specific trade marketing activities.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences includes a variety of unique Australian activities, including quad biking, kayaking, whale watching, fishing, catching mud crabs and hiking. It also features a variety of accommodation options from architectural huts in a national park to a lodge on over 200 square miles of lily-laden flood plains featuring wildlife.

Australia's Aboriginal tourism experiences are a vital component of Australia's tourism offering and a point of differentiation from our main competitors.

Aboriginal tourism experiences particularly resonate with visitors from key markets like the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, China, India and Indonesia.

International Visitor Survey data revealed around 1.2 million people engaged in an Aboriginal tourism experience in Australia, in the year to September 2017.

Find out more about the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective here www.tourism.australia.com/aboriginal.