india

Updated: Sep 29, 2019 14:29 IST

Assam government has collaborated with popular photo and video sharing platform Instagram in a bid to promote tourism in the northeastern state.

The hashtag #AwesomeAssam was officially unveiled yesterday and multiple photos showcasing Assam’s tourism potential was posted on Instagram.

“We want to have an active conversation with today’s youth, and we want to do it in a visual first manner. This led us to Instagram, as the community is thriving with people who are young, adventurous, experimental and expressive,” said Jayanta Malla Baruah, chairman of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC).

Assam government has invested a lot to attract tourists to the state in the past three years. It included a huge publicity and promotion campaign led by actress Priyanka Chopra, who was the brand ambassador for Assam tourism.

All advertising and publicity of Assam Tourism concentrated mainly on showing the state as one of the most exotic tourist destinations focussing on the Brahmaputra river, the Kaziranga National Park, Assam’s tea estates, the state’s cultural and spiritual diversity.

“We are glad to partner with ATDC and help promote Assam as an incredible Indian travel destination for Indian and international travelers,” said Tara Bedi, public policy and community outreach manager for Instagram.

“Instagram is an integral part of tourism in today’s digital age. When people travel they post their adventures on Instagram and those stories inspire others (to travel),” she added.

Bedi stated that Instagram’s ability to do visual storytelling would enable tourism related businesses in Assam to drive awareness with highly engaging communities and reach the right audience.

Tour operators, hoteliers, homestay owners and other stakeholders also held a workshop on how Instagram’s platform can be used for communicating with other customers and businesses

Assam government’s estimates show that nearly 27 million tourists including over 131,000 foreigners visited Assam in the five years between 2014 and 2018.