Australian swimming star, Ian Thorpe has become the Australian Holiday Ambassador for Japan.

He will work with the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) to promote Australia as a tourism destination to the Japanese market.

19 year old Thorpe gained fans worldwide when he won three gold medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Last summer, he became the first swimmer to achieve six gold medals at the world swimming championships in Japan.

Thorpe says 'Competing in swimming tournaments around the world has provided me with an opportunity to see many international destinations, however I believe that Australia has the best holiday experiences on offer'

Thorpe will appear in a range of promotions including newspaper advertisements, holiday publications and the ATC website. Australian Tourist Commission Executive General Manager Richard Beere said 'Thorpe is the ideal ambassador for Australian tourism in Japan. His image is clean, athletic, youthful and energetic - he epitomises the best of Australia.'

Thorpe's first duty as Australian Holiday Ambassador took place last week in Japan, where he met key Japanese celebrities who have promoted Australia over the past few years.