• June 21, 2011

Tourism Australia asked its Facebook fans for help in developing a smartphone app aimed at inspiring travelers to visit Australia.

Compatible with iPhone and Android devices, the app -- which launches June 30 -- offers features including 3,500 photos of destinations, attractions and experiences throughout Australia searchable by state, city or type of experience. The app also allows users to find the nearest Australian travel specialist wherever they are in the world and to connect easily to Tourism Australia's Web site, Australia.com.

Once they are on their Australian vacation, the app allows users to search for nearby attractions and to share their photos with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.

The original "There's nothing like Australia" app was developed by Tourism Australia's digital marketing team and revealed exclusively to its Facebook users in April, when they were invited to download it and put it through its paces. Nearly 20,000 users downloaded the app within the first three weeks of it being launched.

A new map view has been added, which allows users to see exactly where key attractions and experiences are located. New Chinese, Japanese and Korean language versions of the app have also been produced. The launch is supported by mobile advertising on travel and lifestyle sites with an estimated reach of 28MM impressions.--Tanya Irwin