Australia's Queensland State Government launched a nationwide advertising blitz on Thursday to support the state's troubled tourism industry to attract visitors following the state's flood crisis.

Queensland Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor announced in a statement on Thursday the 664,000 AU dollars (661,000 U.S. dollars) week long campaign aimed at luring interstate travelers to the state's top travel spots.

The nationwide "postcard" campaign will be targeted primarily at the key markets of Sydney and Melbourne and will run until Australia Day.

Lawlor said that while the state reeled from its worst ever natural disaster, the major tourism hubs, including Cairns, the Whitsundays and the Gold Coast remained largely untouched.

He said that even in the centers that had been flood affected, tourist operators were operating normally.

Tourism operators across the state have reported mass cancellations and a dramatic drop in bookings following the crisis and industry leaders say some will go broke as a result of the drop in interest.

Lawlor said interstate travelers who choose to holiday in Queensland would help the state recover from the floods crisis.

"While many Australians may not have been able to be here to help with the clean-up phase, they can still help Queenslanders by taking a Queensland holiday, and by encouraging friends and family to do the same."

Meanwhile, Australia's second biggest airline Virgin Blue has slashed fares by up to 50 percent to many Queensland destinations in a bid to boost traveler numbers during the troubled time.

Operators are also pinning their hopes on "the Oprah effect", hoping that the TV talk show queen's "Ultimate Australia Adventure " shows will lead to increased interest from international travelers.

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