Report: Every Town's Tourism Photo Along Pacific Highway Found To Be Wildly Misleading

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

A new report has confirmed that every town’s tourism photo along the Pacific Highway is wildly misleading.

The study, released by the Regional Truth In Advertising Council, found that from Logan to Linfeild, not one promotional image accurately represents what travellers actually see when they pull off the dual carriageway.

Researchers said the most common offences included heavy use of filters, computer manipulation and the complete removal of local residents.

"Our team found that 87 per cent of images used in regional tourism campaigns were taken at sunrise, or sunset, on a drone, by someone who left immediately after because there was nothing else to photograph," said lead investigator Dr Penny Worsfold.

"In one case, a photo claiming to show a coastal boardwalk in Yamba was actually taken in Hawaii," she said.

Local councils have defended their marketing tactics.

"We can't control the weather or the smell of the sugar mill," said Clarence Valley tourism manager Wanita Bong.

"But we can control the contrast slider," he said.

The report included several examples. The most notable was Ocean Shores, where a recent traveller said he thought he had pulled over on the planet of Tatooine.

"The photo on Google Maps showed a turquoise river winding through lush rainforest," said Sydney motorist Daniel Kone.

"What I got was cracked dirt, a servo that only sells E10 and synthetic cannabis and a bloke in hi-vis staring at me like I’d just landed a spacecraft," he said.

Other towns were also named.

Ballina's "Like BYRON just without all the CUNTS" campaign was found to feature neither. The Gold Coast hinterland's "parrot with meth pipe" photo was taken in New Zealand. Kempsey's "riverside paradise" drone footage was purchased from a stock website and features a tidal inlet in Bangladesh.

Despite the findings, no penalties will be issued. The Council said that while the photos were "creatively enhanced" they were not technically false.

"The images are accurate depictions of these towns. just not from any angle a tourist would ever see," said Dr Worsfold.

A follow-up investigation will examine inland marketing materials, including "Dubbo: More Than Getting Your Chin Punched Off Your Face For Running Your Big Fucken Gob At The Amaroo" and Tamworth's "Barnaby doesn't live here anymore" campaigns.

"If we start looking at the Murray River towns," she said.

"There'll be a few mayors sleeping uneasy tonight."

More to come.