Australia the movie, staring ex-Mrs. Tom Cruise (a.k.a. Nicole Kidman) and the Sexiest Man Alive (that's Hugh Jackman according to People Magazine) has earned rave reviews from audiences and critics. The real star of the show, though, was the region of Western Australia where the film was shot. At least, that is what tourism officials from the province of Western Australia (WA) are hoping. In the U.K., a 30 second commercial will air before all screenings of Australia. It will sell the regions where the movie was shot as tourist destinations.



In addition, Tourism Western Australia has partnered with Tourism NT (Australia's Northern Territory) to hawk a tour route inspired by the movie.

Northern and Western Australia are often overlooked by tourists. The East coast is home to the most of the country's cities, beaches and tourist attractions.

And visitors who do decide to give WA a try usually end up staying on the beaches and shopping streets in the province's capital city of Perth. A recent survey found that only 20% of visitors venture outside of Perth. Many of those merely take a cruise on the waterways near the capital.

But tourism officials hope that changes with Hugh and Nicole. Australia was filmed in Kimberly, WA. The panoramic landscapes of what is commonly known as ?The Outback? are scenic on film. But it remains to be seen whether that translates into tourism dollars for this forgotten part of the continent.

165,000 visitors came to WA from England last year. When the film is released in the U.K., just after Christmas, Australia hopes to see a significant increase in those numbers. Right now, the small portion of travelers who do venture into the wild parts of WA could almost all be categorized as adventure travelers. With the movie, that might change, though the landscape will remain as harsh as ever.