The main tourism body in Australia has estimated the country’s bushfire crisis has cost the industry A$1bn (€619m) and called for urgent help from the government to lure back visitors.

Industry bosses were due to meet Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham as storms and heavy rain brought some respite from months of fierce bushfires across Australia’s east coast.

The fires, which have killed 29 people and razed bushland across an area twice the size of Ireland, have hit several coastal towns at the height of the summer season.

“People have basically stopped travel,” said Simon Westaway, executive director of Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC). “And that’s absolutely understandable: human nature kicks in.”

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Even though recent cooler conditions have led some tourist destinations to reopen after they were evacuated because of the fires, people remain wary of visiting.

Images of burnt-out towns, people huddled on beaches to escape huge flames, dead wildlife and thick smoke hanging over major cities have been beamed around the world.

The qualifying rounds of Australian Open tennis in Melbourne this week, the first Grand Slam of the year, have been blighted by complaints from players about the pollution.

“The imagery of the fires in the global marketplace is very bad for our country,” Mr Westaway said. “We are worried about the contagion that may have.”

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