Who’s laughing now? Jamala Lodge went viral on social media with a lion (sorry, Mr Hyena). Photo: Chris Betzmann/Facebook.
A short video showing what it’s like to sleep next to lions at Jamala Wildlife Lodge, the accommodation outlet at the National Zoo & Aquarium, was viewed 1.5 million times, making it by far the most popular social media post from the ACT Government tourism service in 2024.
The post by travel content creator @chrisbetzmann was shared 27,000 times and saved over 8,000 times, and it went viral after VisitCanberra re-posted it.
These data were revealed after VisitCanberra released their top ten most popular Instagram posts of the year.
Scaling, climbing and swinging among the Majura Pines also tickled the interest of many, with a post about the new Canberra Treetops Adventure Park taking out the second most popular post. Seen over 270,000 times, shared 15,000 times and saved 2,500 times, it appeared to hit an adventurous chord with VisitCanberra’s 112,000 followers. The new adventure park received an ACT Government Tourism Product Development Fund grant in 2024, which is aimed at helping ACT businesses attract and bring further economic value to the city.
Numbers three and four on the list tuned into the cultural heart of Canberra with a video about Ouroboros at the National Gallery of Australia. The new public sculpture by Brisbane-based artist Lindy Lee received 365,000 views, 5000 shares and 1000 saves.
Towards the tail end of the top 10 posts for the year, audiences revelled in Canberra’s iconic foodie culture.
Taking out fifth spot was the best breakfast spots in Canberra video, featuring @recesscoffeegoodtimes, @goodneighbour.cafe and @cafe.sosta. It had over 300,000 views, 8000 shares and 5000 saves.
After many years, a new restaurant has opened at Red Hill Lookout, @Lunetta_Trattoria. The dining space soaks up beautiful Canberra landscapes and national treasures. Lunetta Trattoria also received a grant from the ACT Government’s 2024 Tourism Product Development Fund.
Last year’s top social media posts all showcased Canberra’s natural beauty and landscape. In 2024, adventure, culture and dining destinations dominated the top ten on Instagram.
The official tourism Instagram account for VisitCanberra has grown its following by over 14,000 people over the past 12 months. Overall, the account received 49 million views and almost 500,000 engagements in 2024.
VisitCanberra’s 10 most liked Instagram posts for 2024 were:
- Jamala Wildlife Lodge – over 1.5 million views, 27k shares and over 8k saves @chrisbetzmann
- Canberra Treetops Adventure Park – over 275k views, 15K shares and 2.5k saves
- Ouroboros at the National Gallery of Australia – over 365k views, 5k shares and 1k saves
- Curiosity Exhibition at Questacon– almost 400k views, almost 12k shares and 1k saves
- 3 new breakfast spots to try in Canberra – over 300k views, 8k shares and almost 5k saves
- 5 epic walks in Canberra – with help from @NathsWay and @Joslaloh there were almost 150k views, 2.5k shares and over 3k saves
- 4 must-try gelato spots in Canberra – almost 250k views, over 3k shares and 1k saves
- Lunetta & Lunetta Trattoria – over 170k views almost 4k shares and 1k saves
- Darkfield at the Canberra Theatre Centre – 165k views, almost 5k shares and 500 saves
- Best sandwich spots in Canberra – 160k views, over 2.6k shares and almost 2k saves.
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