"It's impossible to get bored in Mandurah."
Justin Langer reminisces on his regular family holidays in Mandurah as a little kid.
Now, the Australian men's cricket coach will lead the latest marketing campaign aimed at bringing visitors back to Mandurah.
Langer will feature in a series of film clips on social media as part of a broader tourism recovery strategy.
The talented sportsman, who owns a home locally, describes himself as a "Mandurah fan".
"To this day I love it and I am sure I always will," he said.
"Surrounded by water with fishing, crabbing, beautiful walking and cycling tracks, dolphins, wind surfing, kiteboarding, great golf courses and a world class shopping centre.
"And all of this only an hour from Perth - absolute gold."
Langer will work with the team at Visit Mandurah for the tourism campaign.
Visit Mandurah general manager Anita Kane said it was exciting to have one of WA's "favourite sporting sons" in our great coastal city.
"We're thrilled to have Justin Langer on board to help get the message out there that Mandurah is back open for business," she said.
"We also want to remind people just how beautiful it is and how much there is to do."
Ms Kane said it had been heartbreaking to see the local tourism industry suffer over the last few months but added that she was confident Mandurah was already starting to show signs of recovery.
"The tourism industry in Mandurah and the wider region employs more than 2,500 people - the overwhelming majority of whom have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic," she said.
"Since regional travel bans were lifted, we have started to see a slight recovery though, with some hotels reporting 100 per cent occupancy on certain nights of the WA Day long weekend.
"West Australians have always been Visit Mandurah's core target market and will be more important than ever as interstate and international border closures remain in place.
"People can also expect to see some very competitive rates in the market which should further encourage visitors wanting a weekend away close to home."
