Tourism NT has kicked off a new advertising campaign throughout Australia, North America, and Europe, aimed at capitalising on the soaring popularity of the Netflix series Territory, which has achieved the number one spot on the streaming platform worldwide.

NT’s main tourism body is set to leverage the global spotlight on famous sites like Wangi Falls, Daly River, Cahills Crossing, and Tipperary Station by introducing a new campaign titled “Territory – For Real.”

The campaign will highlight that the actual Territory experience is undeniably more remarkable in real life.

Referred to as “Yellowstone in an Akubra”, by some, the series was shot in the Top End and in parts of South Australia and is the most significant production the Northern Territory and SA has ever hosted.

Tourism NT executive director of marketing Tony Quarmby said productions like Territory are invaluable for their capacity to connect with new tourism audiences.

“Productions such as Territory are one of the best ways to showcase a holiday destination to an extensive global audience; through the drama, excitement, and connection generated in the storyline, it then creates awareness and inspiration to travel to the epic locations while a mix of real experiences are then made available for audiences to undertake in real life,” Mr Quarmby said.

However, Tourism NT will have to work hard to remind people the show is based in the NT and was shot here, with a recent online piece published by People Magazine stating in a sub-headline that the “neo-western series is filmed throughout South Australia”.

Later in the article, it does mention Kakadu in glowing terms as home to “mudflats, rigged coastlines, dense forests and tons of archaeological sites”, as well as pointing out that the fictional Marianne Station in the show is in fact the NT’s Tipperary Station.

Netflix, which provides weekly updates, most recently covering the period from October 21 to 27, has officially ranked Territory in third place with 6.4 million views, trailing behind The Lincoln Lawyer and This Is The Zodiac Speaking.

“Territory showcases the best of what the Northern Territory has to offer tourists and those seeking an authentic outback adventure, with filming taking place across some of our most dramatic natural landscapes,” Tourism NT said in a statement.

“The series has been released worldwide on Netflix to over 270 million paid subscribers in more than 190 countries.

“A comprehensive, integrated marketing campaign will roll out across Australia, North America, and Europe to amplify the show’s launch on Netflix and showcase the NT as a travel destination.”

Tourism NT said fans from domestic and international locations will be guided to a new website, northernterritory.com/territory. This site features partner packages, details on filming locations, “set-jetting” content, suggested itineraries, and products from various operators.

Themed travel packages will be offered through Luxury Escapes and AAT Kings.

Operators interested in joining the program can update their Australian Tourism Data Warehouse listings by adding a themed badge, “The Territory – For Real”. This will enable their products to be showcased on the new Tourism NT website.

Featured experiences include Bamurru Plains, Cicada Lodge at Nitmiluk National Park, glamping at Kings Creek Station, an off-grid retreat on Tiwi Island, and Bullo Station.

Mr Quarmby said Tourism NT has successfully utilised screen content in the past, including the recent family-oriented series “Barumbi Kids” and the 2019 film “Top End Wedding.”

“Top End Wedding resulted in a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in visitation to the region and expectations are high we could achieve something similar from Territory,” he said.