40,000 likes for the Rhön: Berlin photographer Jörg Non gives the district’s influencer campaign a tailor-made start

A picture like a painting: blooming apple and cherry trees on a mountain meadow sink into the orange of the sunset – in the background Diesburg and other peaks of the Thuringian Rhön. For shots like these, the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district has booked several influencers, i.e. photographers and bloggers who capture the impressive atmosphere of the magnificent region in image or text form and transmit it to the world via their successful channels – like Jörg Nicht from Berlin. The successful influencer, who is currently followed by 540,000 people on Instagram, visited the Rhönblick community, the town of Kaltennordheim and other places in the Hohe Rhön administrative community on the Ascension Day weekend. Guided by Rhönblick Mayor Christoph Friedrich and Regina Filler from the Rhönforum, he visited numerous sights, impressive vantage points and great insider tips. The passionate photographer was inspired by the beauty of the Rhön for numerous shots, some of which have now broken records on his Instagram channel.

Rhönschafe, Geba and Henneberg become internet stars

Jörg Nicht received a total of 8,000 likes for a series of pictures showing particularly “woolly-lustful” four-legged friends: a herd of black-headed Rhön sheep, which ran in front of the photographer’s lens near Kaltennordheim. Similarly successful – a so-called reel. A short video that was created on Geba. With a fitting musical background (The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour), Nicht disappears behind a tree in the fog in a time-lapse recording and reappears as the misty veil lifts. The absolute front-runner was a series of views of the Rhönblick towns of Gerthausen, Wohlmuthausen, Helmershausen and Hermannsfeld, which more than 16,000 Instagram users have now liked. The feedback from the followers also reflects the above-average performance. “Many commented that it was truly a region of beauty that I visited. I’ve also received comments from people who grew up in the Rhön and who were very happy that I visited their homeland,” reports Jörg Nicht. He himself is not sparing in his praise for the region. “The hospitality I experienced was impressive, the tours were not off-the-shelf tourism, but individual experiences.” The highlight was the barbecue into the sunset with Rhönblick Mayor Christoph Friedrich at the Rhönfrieden vantage point. But what particularly appealed to the doctor of educational sciences was the landscape. “The timing of the visit was also very attractive: the Rhön shines brightly in spring,” says Nicht, meaning the open landscape in combination with the cherry and rapeseed blossoms. “The landscape and the grandeur of the traditional places are simply picturesque – it reminded me of Tuscany.” He is certain: “For me, the Rhön is one of the most attractive travel and photo destinations in Germany.” So it could be continued.

In any case, the influencer campaign of the district continues. Especially now that hotels and restaurants are allowed to open again – at least to a limited extent – the magnificent region should be increasingly brought into focus nationwide. “We very much hope that the infection situation will continue to ease and that there will be even more scope for our gastronomy and tourism industry. We want to make our contribution in these difficult times,” says District Administrator Peggy Greiser. “We assume that the trend towards Germany tourism will continue this summer and that many holidaymakers will book at short notice. That’s why we want to show the world that we live in a magnificent region between the Rhön and Rennsteig, where you can spend wonderful holidays,” says Greiser.

As one of the next influencers, “tobymacthomann” will visit the region at the end of June and focus on promoting Zella-Mehlis and Steinbach-Hallenberg. Photographer and videographer Dennis Schmelz is also expected to come to Oberhof and the surrounding area in June to capture great motifs. In mid-July, half-timbered enthusiasts announced “themodernleper” for the Schmalkalden area. Two authors of travel blogs with a large reach will be the Schmalkalden regions (www.viel-unterwegs.de< /a>, end of June) and Meiningen with surroundings (www.goodmorning-word.de , early August). Photographer Oliver Hlavaty from Schmalkalden supports the marketing of the region as a local hero, so to speak, over a longer period of time. The district is currently in talks with other influencers.