Monday 16 June 2014

NT’s Arnhem Land finds wider popularity through Instagram

The natural beauty of Arnhem Land has long been a hidden gem of the Territory, but not for much longer.

The largely undiscovered region has been exposed to hundreds of thousands of people on popular social media platform, Instagram as part of Tourism NT’s new Mates of the Territory program.

Minister for Tourism Matt Conlan said the series of Instagram photos by professional Instagrammer and new NT mate, Lauren Bath, are a first for Arnhem Land.

“Lauren has gone where no Instagrammer has ever gone before,” said Mr Conlan.

“She has uncovered one of the best kept secrets of the Territory.

“With 365,000 followers on Instagram, Lauren has showcased the amazing sights and experiences on offer in Arnhem Land to a huge audience – who probably never even knew this incredible place existed.

“Arnhem Land is one of the last undiscovered tourism regions in Australia; it is mystical and deeply cultural but very few people have had the opportunity to experience its raw beauty until now.”

As a new Mate of the Territory, Tourism NT organised for Lauren to attend a three day trip of Arnhem Land that saw her post a number of photos on Instagram, which led to more than 138,000 likes and counting, over 1267 comments and a potential reach of 3.5 million people.

The photos showcased Bremer Island, Banubanu, East Woody Beach, and Nhulunbuy. The most popular photos being of a turtle at Bremer Island (11,757 likes and also shared on Tourism Australia’s Instagram) and duckling, also at Bremer Island (15,153 likes).

“This type of exposure will help boost the profile of the region and encourage people to follow in Lauren’s footsteps and experience amazing Arnhem Land for themselves,” said Mr Conlan.

“Our new Mates of the Territory program encourages everyone to be a mate of the NT, not just our high profile mates like Lauren. Anyone that loves the NT can become our mate and get involved by using the hashtags #askNTmates and #NTaustralia on social media.

“Using social media and Instagram in this way is all a part of our plan to raise the profile of the Territory as a must-do holiday destination, particularly in our key markets in the Eastern States, which will help turn around declining visitor numbers.”

Ms Bath said she was thrilled to become a Mate of the Territory and her experience in Arnhem Land was a real eye-opener.

“I, like many Australians had no idea how beautiful Arnhem Land is,” she said.

“I was shocked to find that it was a coastal paradise full of amazing scenery and adventure.

“During my time in Arnhem Land I experienced magical sunsets, slept in an Eco hut metres from the beach, went hunting and spear fishing with local Indigenous guides and got up close to local wildlife like sea turtles and baby ducklings.

“Arnhem Land is truly a hidden gem and it is great that through Instagram thousands of people now know the unique type of experiences it offers.

“I can’t wait to return to the Territory and uncover more secrets to my followers and encourage everyone to Do the NT.”

Lauren was also a part of the first ever Instameet at Mindil Beach last month, which involved seven high profile Instagrammers from around the world.

The Instagrammers also travelled through the Top End visiting Adelaide River, Katherine and Kakadu. More than 140 photos of their experiences were posted on Instragram, which attracted a total of 494,284 likes and comments and resulted in a potential reach of 19 million people.

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