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Photos: Bushfires hit tourism in Australia

Families grieving for lost homes and loved ones, burned koalas rescued from charred forests: The devastation of Australia's bushfire crisis has tainted the country's reputation as a safe and alluring holiday destination. Images of the unprecedented scale of this summer’s blazes have evoked global shock and an outpouring of sympathy. It is expected to take months or even years to rebuild tourist attractions like Mogo and other devastated towns -- raising fears some residents will leave to find employment elsewhere.

Updated on: Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM IST

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Accommodation blocks at the Gold Rush Colony in Mogo, a tourist attraction dedicated to Mogo's 1850s gold rush -- where a recent bushfire reduced it to twisted metal and ash. The unprecedented scale of Australia's bushfires have tainted the country's reputation as a safe and alluring holiday destination. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

Accommodation blocks at the Gold Rush Colony in Mogo, a tourist attraction dedicated to Mogo's 1850s gold rush -- where a recent bushfire reduced it to twisted metal and ash. The unprecedented scale of Australia's bushfires have tainted the country's reputation as a safe and alluring holiday destination. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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The remains of a building at the Gold Rush Colony. Images of the unprecedented scale of this summer’s blazes have evoked global shock and an outpouring of sympathy. It is expected to take months or even years to rebuild Mogo and other devastated towns -- raising fears some residents will leave to find employment elsewhere. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

The remains of a building at the Gold Rush Colony. Images of the unprecedented scale of this summer’s blazes have evoked global shock and an outpouring of sympathy. It is expected to take months or even years to rebuild Mogo and other devastated towns -- raising fears some residents will leave to find employment elsewhere. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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An unused fire extinguisher in the remains of a building at the Gold Rush Colony. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from coastal towns, international visitors have cancelled flights, and the US State Department even upgraded its security advice for Australia -- warning travellers to "exercise increased caution" due to the bushfire risk. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

An unused fire extinguisher in the remains of a building at the Gold Rush Colony. Thousands of tourists were evacuated from coastal towns, international visitors have cancelled flights, and the US State Department even upgraded its security advice for Australia -- warning travellers to "exercise increased caution" due to the bushfire risk. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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Workmen fix a power pole in Mogo. Ten days after the blaze roared through, most remaining shops in the town were shuttered, unable to open until electricity was restored, while the handful that had reopened were running on generators. Maureen Nathan, a retired pharmacist, spent 20 years building up a tourist attraction dedicated to Mogo’s 1850s gold rush -- only for it to go up in flames on New Year’s Eve. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

Workmen fix a power pole in Mogo. Ten days after the blaze roared through, most remaining shops in the town were shuttered, unable to open until electricity was restored, while the handful that had reopened were running on generators. Maureen Nathan, a retired pharmacist, spent 20 years building up a tourist attraction dedicated to Mogo’s 1850s gold rush -- only for it to go up in flames on New Year’s Eve. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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Tourism Australia was forced to suspend an upbeat advertising campaign featuring pop star Kylie Minogue that was launched in the middle of the crisis after the ad was met with incredulity about what many saw as poor timing. “We’ve been selling Australia on clean air, clear skies, bright shiny beaches, hopping animals. Unfortunately, what people have been seeing (are) singed koalas and kangaroos,” said University of Technology Sydney lecturer David Beirman. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

Tourism Australia was forced to suspend an upbeat advertising campaign featuring pop star Kylie Minogue that was launched in the middle of the crisis after the ad was met with incredulity about what many saw as poor timing. “We’ve been selling Australia on clean air, clear skies, bright shiny beaches, hopping animals. Unfortunately, what people have been seeing (are) singed koalas and kangaroos,” said University of Technology Sydney lecturer David Beirman. (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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“Many countries have gone through natural disasters on the sort of scale we’re seeing with the Australian bushfires now and have bounced back pretty effectively -- when they’ve got their strategies right,” tourism expert Beirman said, pointing to Japan’s recovery in the wake of the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster. “I’m sure that people will come,” said Nathan from Mogo. “But please, just give us a few days’ breathing space. That’s all.” (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

“Many countries have gone through natural disasters on the sort of scale we’re seeing with the Australian bushfires now and have bounced back pretty effectively -- when they’ve got their strategies right,” tourism expert Beirman said, pointing to Japan’s recovery in the wake of the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster. “I’m sure that people will come,” said Nathan from Mogo. “But please, just give us a few days’ breathing space. That’s all.” (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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A closed sign on a business in Mogo. More than nine million overseas tourists visited Down Under in the 12 months to June 2019, adding almost Aus$45 billion ($31 billion) to the economy, while Australians holidaying across the vast continent country spent another Aus$100 billion. Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said it was “too early to quantify the full impact of the bushfires.” (Holly Robertson / AFP)

Updated on Jan 14, 2020 9:53 PM

A closed sign on a business in Mogo. More than nine million overseas tourists visited Down Under in the 12 months to June 2019, adding almost Aus$45 billion ($31 billion) to the economy, while Australians holidaying across the vast continent country spent another Aus$100 billion. Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said it was “too early to quantify the full impact of the bushfires.” (Holly Robertson / AFP)

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