Tourism NT launches Astronomeet social media campaign

Tourism NT launched its latest social media campaign 'Astronomeet,' an astronomical social media summit in the Red Centre, targeting key Instagram influencers to drive engagement.

Astronomeet will see three of Australia’s top Instagrammers Luke Tscharke, Matt Donovan and Paul Fleming, alongside budding photographers, shoot the skies above Central Australia to celebrate the tourism destination.

The campaign will also incorporate a public Instameet for local photographers to have their work featured on Tourism NT’s Instagram channel. Local influencers will participate in astro-photography workshops and put their skills to the test during evening stargazing events.

“The campaign was developed to strategically align with curating content that generates the greatest engagement on our social media channels," Astronomeet and Tourism NT spokesperson, Cory Gale, said.

"By partnering with niche, high profile social media influencers, we’re giving our audience content that they want. Our aim is to position stargazing as a key outback experience via astrophotography, and showcase the NT as a destination with unique, world-class events that create new and additional reasons to visit.”

Tourism NT’s Astronomeet campaign follows the success of its six-day Hypermeet event in March this year. The Hypermeet saw prominent Instagrammers Matt and Mia Glastonbury, along with Matthew Vandeputte, use timelapse and hyperlapse techniques to promote the Red Centre’s most iconic attractions to their combined following of more than 226,000 Instagram fans and 1.3 million Google Plus followers.

Tourism NT’s Astronomeet is part of a broader campaign encouraging travelers to ‘come for the stars and stay for a Red Centre adventure.’

Timed to coincide with the new moon phase of the lunar cycle – the best time for stargazing – the participating Instagrammers will kick off a five-day astro-exploration of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Mt Conner on 12 August 2015.

“The Astronomeet offers one more proof point to visit the NT for the 36 percent of Australians who are intending to visit the region, but are yet to book, or for past visitors to come back and see it from a different perspective,” Gale added.

The summit will take place as part of a range of NT stellar-themed experiences – including Uluru Astronomy Weekend from 14 to 16 August.

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