Tourists from overseas and interstate are being given a helping hand to recognise true blue fair dinkum Australian-made souvenirs.
A new initiative has kicked off thanks to the national not-for-profit Australian Made Campaign, which will see billboards pop up in major metro airports during peak travel periods reminding shoppers how to identify genuine Aussie products and produce. Apparently, a whopping 98 per cent of Aussies recognise the Australian Made logo, according to Roy Morgan Research, and its reputation is growing overseas as well.
But Australian Made Campaign chief executive, Ian Harrison, said ongoing education is needed to remind shoppers to look for the logo at point-of-sale.
“Many of the souvenirs sold in gift shops around the country are made overseas, unbeknownst to buyers who wrongly assume all ‘Australiana’ is made locally,” Harrison said.
“Tourists that are seeking out authentic Australian experiences, should look for the green-and-gold Australian Made, Australian Grown kangaroo certification trade mark on products and produce to be sure what they are buying is genuinely Aussie,” Mr Harrison said.
It comes just two years after a scandalous Office of Fair Trading investigation heavily fined a string of souvenir shops after they were found passing off cheap imports as locally made goods and charging mark-ups of up to 4000 per cent.
