MURRAY Regional Tourism has wrapped up its 2025 Mates of the Murray campaign, reaching 2 million people across social media platforms by placing local voices front and centre.
The campaign ran from May to June and amassed a total of 7 million views highlighting the stories of community drivers in the Murray.
The original 2024 campaign showcased the potential of using community-first voices for destination marketing and Cameron Sutton, Murray Regional Tourism CEO, said there is no shortage of local voices.
“This campaign is about the people,” he said.
“We’re fortunate to have so many incredible tourism operators across the Murray who live and breathe this every day as they host visitors, share their stories and help others experience the heart of our region.
“It has certainly outperformed our expectation for the modest budget. The engagement has been exceptional.”
Featured mates of the campaign include Uncle Dozer Atkinson, a Bangerrang Elder and Educator who transformed a Barooga lagoon into the Bullanginya Dreaming immersive art installation, and Tom and Tegan Douglas, owners of the river-side stay and almond farm, Outback Almonds, just outside of Wentworth.
Ms Douglas said she felt overjoyed seeing her community represented in the campaign.
“We’re really grateful to have been part of the Mates of The Murray campaign,” she said.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our area and the Murray region to a wider audience, alongside other passionate, family-owned small businesses.
“Being part of something that celebrates local communities and connects visitors with the people behind the experiences was something really special.”
Digital audiences for the campaign are still growing and Mr Sutton said it is part of the plan to cultivate new tourism.
“Our audience has grown and will continue to grow fans of the Murray region,” he said.
“It is important that we continue to nurture our current visitors and future visitors to the region.”
