Harrison is leaving the organisation for a currently unspecified overseas opportunity.
Joining the agency in 2017 as its executive general manager of international, Harrison made history when she was appointed as Tourism Australia’s first female managing director in 2019.
She was unanimously reappointed to her role in mid-2024 by Tourism Australia’s board.
Harrison led the agency through arguably the toughest ever period for Australian tourism – the pandemic – and the subsequent, and still ongoing, recovery of visitation.
“Under Pip’s leadership, Tourism Australia has demonstrated the importance of our tourism industry to our nation,” said Tourism Australia’s board chair, Penny Fowler AM.
“Pip’s vision has been to grow a sustainable tourism sector, which was particularly challenging when faced with the devastating impacts of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019 and 2020 and a global pandemic.
“Pip led the organisation’s response, with a series of domestic campaigns, including Holiday Here This Year, alongside industry support initiatives while international travel was on hold for two years.
“When the world reopened, Tourism Australia was ready to go with global campaigns and innovative support programs such as the first ever National Experience Content Initiative (NECI) to help industry accelerate their preparedness to attract and welcome visitors.
“Pip will be missed greatly, but she has created a legacy of strong industry engagement, a culture of global and national connection and creativity, and the determination to succeed despite the most difficult of times.
“On behalf of everyone at Tourism Australia, we sincerely thank Pip for her enormous contribution to the organisation and industry and look forward to continuing to work with the strong leadership team supporting the organisation,” said Fowler.
Harrison called her time at the helm of Tourism Australia “the greatest privilege of my career”.
“Australian tourism has a powerful story to tell – not only about the unforgettable experiences we offer but also, the economic, social and cultural value we deliver across the country,” she said.
“I’m proud to have represented this resilient industry through challenging times, and I’m deeply grateful to the team at Tourism Australia for their passion, professionalism and unwavering love for this incredible country.”
The search for Tourism Australia’s next leader will begin shortly.
