As fears grow of a second wave of Covid-19 infections potentially reaching rural districts, an anti-tourism ‘Do not visit Victoria’ campaign has really taken off.
The initiative is spearheaded by a series of art-deco style advertising posters that at first glance promote regional towns, before a punchline hammers home the real message … don’t’ come here.
A typical example is one for Portland which features an attractive graphic of the lighthouse there with smallish writing saying bluntly: ‘We will legit kick your ass if you come anywhere near scenic Portland’.
The campaign was created by advertising agency
Does Portland look welcoming? Look closer. PIC: ABC /Jess Wheeler
creative directors Jess Wheeler and Guillermo Carvajal.
“We were just spit-balling ideas as to what we can do in this situation, and were reading about how people from Melbourne were fleeing to regional Victoria,” Mr Wheeler told the ABC. “It was quite distressing for the towns that don’t have the infrastructure to handle an outbreak.
He said that after doing a first run of six posters they were inundated with requests from other regional towns wanting a similar poster.
Mr Wheeler said despite the tongue-in-cheek delivery, there was a serious message within the promotions.
“This situation is about us all sticking together,” he said. “While the message has an ‘us and them’ tone in the humour, the underlying message is this a way for us all to support each other and stay put and not spread this thing around.”
However, not all of Victoria’s regional towns are impressed.
Jason Schram is the Mayor of Colac-Otway Shire, a region encompassing Apollo Bay, where there has yet to be a positive case of Covid-19.
Bright looks inviting … until you read the fine print! PIC: ABC /Jess Wheeler
“I personally didn’t see the funny side of it,” he said. “We still do want people to come visit — obviously not from the lockdown areas of Melbourne, but people in the south-west from Colac-Otway to the South Australian border are Covid-free and there’s no reason we can’t help each other out and travel amongst ourselves.”
It is time for people to “OWN ” this pandemic no one person family community city state or country can stop the spread it is a pandemic
Everyone has to take this seriously
I think it is time for the teenagers and those in their 20s to realise its not only oldies that can catch COVID 19
Just stay in your own region, take the wretched bug seriously. We are putting too much pressure on Emergency Services personnel if we don’t. They are doing a wonderful job without a lot thanks sometimes. I have a great deal respect. For Emergency Services personnel.
It is disappointing in a pandemic that requires us to all work collectively, that individuals would see an opportunity for profit, even if redirected to charity, at the expense of communities that are suffering.
Local towns and businesses are actively managing the recommendations from the State and Federal Governments including, with the latest restrictions, verifying origin of visitors, to ensure their communities stay safe. Whilst many towns rely on visitors to support their economy and deliver local jobs they have not pushed their business survival above the health and safety of their local communities. Businesses have downsized, hibernated, pivoted to service only local markets and in some cases closed permanently and a publicity stunt at their expense adds unnecessary further emotional stress.
A gimmick, which seems funny to a creative, and purporting to represent the interests of a community does not support the premise that we are all in this together and promotes an unhealthy, us vs them mentality between visitors and locals. The State has no current travel restrictions, on travel from people within Regional Victoria, if they reside outside of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell. The onus remains on individuals to do the right thing.
We are all visitors on this country and all have an obligation to put the health and welfare of the land and the people first.
I thought that was all fair comment Liz…
We are ALL Australian…!
I am a Victorian grey nomad who lives in a regional area outside the lock down zone. I am very concerned about visiting regional Victoria and have shelved my plans for 2020. The Ad campaign reinforces my cautious attitude. I think regional tourism will take years to recover and may not come good until a vaccine is available.