Tasmania has a new ad designed to help attract as many tourists as possible, and it includes a shot of some wombats accompanied by the phrase 'we are all family here', prompting embarrassed reactions from people familiar with ribald Aussie banter. Check it out below:
As states and territories across Australia slowly emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, many are trying to keep people interested in tourism's - in some cases eventual - return, as they seek to boost their local economies. Some jurisdictions are still closed, however others are throwing their doors open.
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Tassie is getting ready to welcome new people again and its tourism department released a brand new video to alert people as to why they should make the journey across the Bass Strait.
DiscoverTasmania wrote on the YouTube video: "Make Yourself At Home is a new Tourism Tasmania marketing campaign to support the tourism industry during the phased reopening process and while traditional interstate and international markets are not available."
The video features rolling, lush and beautiful hills; interesting, fun and quirky animals; and stunning, rich and mesmerising culture that certainly should attract you to their shores.
While the tourism ad certainly is a beautiful work of art, there is one frame that has raised an eyebrow or two.
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A shot of some wombats is accompanied by text which reads: "We are all family here."
Looks like a nice enough sentiment on first glance. However, anyone familiar with a certain subset of Australian banter will be familiar with the age-old joke that because Tasmania is separated from the rest of country, its inhabitants are all related to each other due to... erm, inbreeding.
(Hey, that's the joke. Don't shoot the messenger. Sorry, Tasmanians, we're on your side here - no regional bias on our part.)
Inevitably, it seems like people on social media have picked up on the own-goal.
The YouTube clip has had comments disabled, which is probably wise.
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Tasmania is slowly opening up as the coronavirus risk subsides. Premier Peter Gutwein has announced that from next week indoor and outdoor gatherings, like in pubs and gyms, there will be an 80 person limit.
Venues would still have to adhere to the one person every four square metre rule.
The Premier said the state will be allowed to move to Stage Three of social distancing restrictions from June 26.
"On the 26th of June we would expect that community sport would be able to resume with crowds of up to 500 people," Mr Gutwein said. "Indoor sport would be depending on the density the venue could carry."
Featured Image Credit: DiscoverTasmania