Tourism Partnerships for Extended Marketing Reach

They are new, fresh and big and they are all partnerships with a cause.

Scotland is set to maximize its exposure to a global audience, through a joint marketing campaign with Disney for a new animated film set in the Highlands; Iceland Inspires and engages its audience through the spread of its marketing efforts and content to a multi platform level in cooperation with AOL; and Japan launches a joint marketing initiative with Taiwan to promote rail travel in both countries.

VisitScotland Teams up with Disney/Pixar

VisitScotland is to launch its largest global marketing campaign to date, based around the launch of Disney/Pixar’s forthcoming animated film, Brave. The partnership is a tourism first, since this is the first time that Disney has linked up with a country’s tourism organisation on such a scale.

Set in the Scottish Highlands, Brave is to be released in August 2012 and has characters voiced by Billy Connolly and Kelly Macdonald and a song by Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis.

Increasing the promotion of the typical Scottish landscapes and culture which are the background of the film through this partnership is quite fitting for both sides.

This will include multi-media activities such as joint TV and cinema advertising across the UK, North America and Europe, PR opportunities, digital marketing and events including premieres and screenings that will continue through the film’s home entertainment release.The campaign will see Scotland’s scenery, humour and culture showcased on an unprecedented scale and will position Scotland on the world stage in a way not seen since “Braveheart”.

As VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay said: “This is an incredible opportunity to extend the reach of VisitScotland’s marketing activity across the world. This film will be shown in more than 70 countries across the world and will give us the opportunity to convert cinema goers into visitors in the biggest campaign VisitScotland has ever launched.

“There are very few tourism destinations that get to work so closely with the world’s largest entertainment companies – and this gives us an unprecedented opportunity to put Scotland on the worldwide stage with a whole new audience.”

Source: www.visitscotland.org

Promote Iceland Cross-Platform Marketing

A cross-platform pan-European marketing campaign that aims to raise awareness of Iceland as a year-round holiday destination has just been launched by AOL in partnership with Promote Iceland.

The Inspired by Iceland campaign has marked the introduction of the Huffington Post UK’s ‘Inspiration’ section, which allows brands to communicate with consumers through video, blogs and social media. AOL claims this is the first pan-European marketing effort that integrates “a comprehensive suite of AOL advertising products, content and platforms”.

This is the third part of the Inspired by Iceland campaign, with the second phase featuring Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson calling on his Islanders to open up the doors of their homes and invite tourists in for a unique Icelandic experience.

The campaign is the first to feature a Project Devil ad with a live camera feed, and will span The Huffington Post, MyDaily, AOL Travel and AOL advertising platforms Advertising.com and goviral.

The campaign includes a 12-minute exclusive documentary on Iceland, ‘Islander,’ hosted on HuffPost UK Inspiration; a 60-second video trailer for the documentary distributed across goviral’s network in key European markets; sponsored content with the theme, ‘Inspired by Iceland,’ across The Huffington Post UK Lifestyle and additional content on MyDaily and AOL Travel; and Inspired by Iceland ads distributed across the Advertising.com network of premium publishers.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Japan & Taiwan Joint Rail Marketing Campaign

Taiwan and Japan plan to launch a joint rail tourism campaign as part of expanding links between the two countries since the massive earthquake which struck Japan.

As part of the tourism campaign titled “Train Travel: Winter in Hokkaido and Summer in Taiwan” a special steam train, dubbed “Doraemon” after the Japanese comic book character, will whistle its way through a mountainous area of northern Taiwan on March 12 to celebrate the sisterhood tie between the two countries.

For this joint marketing initiative, one train from each country will be used, Taiwan’s CK124 steam engine and a similar Japanese train called the Hokkaido SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen, to promote railway travel in both countries.

The partnership idea came about during a visit to Taiwan by Japanese officials in April last year to promote tourism as part of Japan’s disaster recovery efforts and is expected to be formalized on March 12 in a letter of intent signed by the Japan Hokkaido Railway Co (JR Hokkaido) and the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA).

The promotional campaign is expected to help revive the economy in northeast Japan, an area that was hit hard by the powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11 last year. The partnership is also a means to express Japan’s gratitude for Taiwan’s tremendous humanitarian aid in the wake of the disaster, according to JR Hokkaido.

Source: www.taipeitimes.com

Destination BrandWatch (ASIA): New Tourism Campaigns from Taiwan, Vietnam & Cambodia

Taiwan Tourism Board Launches New Tourism Brand

The Minister of Transportation and Communications said the new campaign could help the nation develop its tourism sector and reach 10 million visitors

The Tourism Bureau of Taiwan has launched its new global campaign slogan — “Taiwan — The Heart of Asia” — as well as a new theme song, setting the tone for tourism campaign strategies in the years to come. The bureau had been using “Taiwan, Touch Your Heart” as its global campaign motto since 2000.

Aside from the slogan, the new campaign also features a heart containing some of the crucial elements of Taiwan, including food, culture, festive events and biodiversity.

All of the bureau’s campaign materials published in the future will feature the new campaign logos, the bureau said.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said the nation reached a major milestone last year by having more than 5 million tourists visit the nation.

“Considering the exponential growth, I believe that the introduction of the new tourism campaign slogan could lead us toward the 10-million mark within three to five years,” he said.

“When you have only 2 million tourists, you are a peripheral market. But when you have 10 million, you become a core market,” he said, adding that the new logo not only shows the nation’s determination, but also its faith in reaching the goal of having 10 million tourists come to visit.

“The international tourists we are talking about here are not those crossing the borders and buying a bottle of water at a 7-Eleven store, like those in Hong Kong or Singapore,” he added. “We are talking about a solid number of people who come to travel in Taiwan.”

Tourism Bureau Director–General Janice Lai (賴瑟珍) said the bureau spent about two years developing the new logo.

“Over the past 10 years, many have been impressed by the old logo,” Lai said. “But we felt the need to find a new brand as we are repositioning ourselves in the market.”

Lai said the bureau first -gathered opinions from government representatives, academics and the tourism industry. It then entrusted a UK-based branding firm Winkreative with the task of executing the actual design work.

To create a sense of continuity, Lai said the new logo keeps the concept of a human heart, which should be where everything begins.

Read more:www.taipeitimes.com

Vietnam Introduces New Tourism Brand

With increasing profits from tourism, Vietnam decides to seize the opportunity to maximize its potential. At the beginning of February, the country introduced its new logo “Vietnam, a Different Orient”.

For several years, Vietnam has been gradually increasing in popularity and with its booming economy, growing middle class and constantly improving standard of services, its profile as a bright new Asian destination has brought its rewards. The current logo “Vietnam – the hidden charm” may have done  its best and right now, local authorities were looking for a striking rebrand which would open up the window of opportunity as wide as ever.

Vietnam has become an unusually appealing destination and tourism numbers are on a constant increase. What local tourism officials need right now, is to secure a steady growth and perhaps appeal to a more diverse traveler base. As local middle class grows in power and wealth, it is likely the domestic tourism branch will grow in power, too. However, major focus of Vietnamese Tourist Administration remains on raising the number of foreign visits to Vietnam by 10 – 15% before 2015, luring some 12 million.

The International Air Transport Association estimates by 2014, Vietnam will be in the top three fastest growing markets in terms of international passengers. The increase in domestic passengers is likely to be even more significant. Simply said, the future outlooks are very positive, indeed.

Many Asian countries have made tourism their priority and it comes as no surprise Vietnam joins in with a new campaign and logo. Especially recent weeks have been fantastic for local tourism as the country welcomed thousands of visitors who wished to experience the Lunar New Year festival. However, Vietnam is only at the beginning of its four–year campaign to get a firm grip of the Asian Tourism market.

Source: www.tourism-review.com

Adore Cambodia! Tourism Campaign Launched in the Heart of the Kingdom of Wonders

A thriving tourism community aims to attract thousands of gay and lesbian travelers to Siem Reap, Cambodia, home to more than 40 gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses, in 2011-2012.

Cambodian tourism businesses have launched a colorful, global campaign, Adore Cambodia!, to let GLBT travelers know they are especially welcome in the Kingdom of Wonders.

With the spread of ultra-cheap flights from regional hubs like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, gay and lesbian tourists have discovered a quiet haven of tolerance, culture and world heritage that is actively reaching out to the economically powerful GLBT niche travel market.

“Siem Reap is remarkable because major players in the hospitality and service industries are comfortable extending a genuine welcome specifically to GLBT visitors,” explains John Goss, director of Utopia-Asia.com which lists more than 70 gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses around Cambodia. “These include Travel and Leisure’s #1 hotel in Cambodia, dozens of gay-run boutique accommodations, trend-setting restaurants, and fashion and design innovators that are part of a hip, emerging contemporary arts movement dubbed Cambodia Cool.”

Siem Reap also boasts Cambodia’s first men-only leisure complex combining an uber-stylish hotel, spa, and gym designed by one of the country’s leading architects. The New York Times even stood up and took notice recently, proclaiming Siem Reap to be a “gay haven” in 2010.

“Mutual respect between people is deeply a part of Khmer culture. Gays and lesbians are included as long as cultural traditions are respected,” explains openly gay business owner, Sopheara. “More and more Cambodians, in all strata of society, are living an open gay life. But you won’t find provocative displays of sexuality here, as you might in some other countries. Cambodia is refreshingly free and easy for gays wanting to blend in with our live-and-let-live lifestyle.”

The Adore Cambodia! logo design is based on the Cambodian national flower, the Rumbdul, depicted in the six colors of the internationally recognized “gay rainbow.”

For more information: http://www.utopia-asia.com/ucool/article_cambodia.htm

Source: www.prweb.com

Destination Brandwatch: Japan, Taiwan, Israel, Puerto Rico, South Australia & Yemen unveil new tourism campaigns

 

Online Facebook Marketing Campaign by Japan Tourism Agency

Japan Tourism Agency has launched its online interactive facebook marketing campaign for Japan Tourism in Australia, Powder Dash. The Japan Tourism Agency invite skiers and boarders from around the world to take a trip and visit Japan to feel the experience of snow sports through its new online social media campaign on Facebook titled with Powder Dash. The online social media tourism marketing campaign “Powder Dash” is an Facebook app that allow you to carve deep powder tracks down a fresh mountain, hit jumps, score points and unlock a line of advanced boards to get you thinking about Japan. As users, you can challenge your friends or compete on the leaderboard.

Taiwan launches 2011 tourism campaign

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has announced its 2011 marketing campaign, which will feature three key elements: Tour Taiwan 100, Authentic Taiwan and Great Service in Taiwan. Tour Taiwan 100 sees the introduction of over 100 new tours and different experiences on the island. From celebrity spotting to Yulin Puppet Shows, the tours will fall into one of 10 themes: customs & religion, local culture, aboriginal tribes, hot-springs, innovation tours, contemporary culture, hiking, tracking celebrities, eco-touring and biking.  The tours are designed to help visitors maximise their time and make the most of their experiences on the island.

Authentic Taiwan will promote the culture and traditions of Taiwan through four key events, one for each season: Taiwan Lantern Festival (Spring), Taiwan Cuisine Festival (Summer), Taiwan International Cycling Festival (Autumn) and the Taiwan Hot Springs and Fein Cuisine Carnival (Winter). In conjunction with these events, there will also be a number of new initiatives such as ‘Taiwan Tea Adventure’ and ‘Taiwan Night Market Competitions’ designed to promote the other aspects of culture on the island. Source: eTurboNews

Finally, the great service initiative focuses on an even better hospitality on the island, before, during and after tourists’ trips. There will be several new websites, offering more information and insight, as well as shuttle buses, tour coupons and special offers making getting around much easier. Holidaymakers will also benefit from extra special treatment such as a free ‘Easy Card’ for the subways in Taipei and Kaohsiung, free half-day tours for transit tourists as well as prizes for the millionth tourist visiting the country.

Israel touts new tourism campaign on FTV

The Tourism Ministry announced Wednesday that it had launched a NIS 3 million advertising campaign on the Fashion Channel (FTV). The campaign, which highlights Israel as a destination for urban and beachside vacations, features images of good-looking young men and women with picturesque vistas in the background. The campaign includes a tourism image video and marketing clips that present Israel’s tourist sites and entertainment spots. In addition, a calendar will be distributed featuring 12 tourist sites, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Masada and the Dead Sea. Source: The Jerusalem Post

Puerto Rico Launches Tourism Campaign In New York

NEW YORK—The Puerto Rican Government and tourism bureau have launched simultaneous campaigns intended to overcome economic challenges by sparking tourism and private investment. “Discover why Puerto Rico does it better,” reads the tagline for the joint tourism campaign launched by the Puerto Rican Governor’s Office and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company in New York on Tuesday.The new tourism campaign launched alongside an aggressive tax incentive plan meant to alleviate economic challenges caused by years of recession, and to encourage private business investment in Puerto Rico. To compliment economic and infrastructural reforms, the Puerto Rican Tourism Company is launching a bold advertising campaign, most visible in a dynamic advertisement in Times Square that features colonial Old San Juan, and Puerto Rico’s tropical rainforest, “El Yunque.”The campaign advertises Old San Juan as a historic gem (“the oldest city in the United States”) and El Yunque as the “only rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service.” Source: Latin America News Dispatch

South Australia Tourism unveils new geo-location campaign

The South Australian Tourism Commission has unveiled an innovative social media campaign to draw more people to the State‟s renowned winery cellar doors, based on check-in technology and social sharing. The SATC partnered with “Scruffy Gen X wine geeks” The Qwoff Boys to create the Great South Australian Wine Adventure, a platform which integrates Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Gowalla. The Great South Australian Wine Adventure initially focuses on Adelaide Hills‟ cellar doors. The Adventure will be rolled out into the Barossa and McLaren Vale before Christmas, with other regions including the Coonawarra/Limestone Coast, Riverland and Clare Valley to follow. A mobile application is also in the planning stages. Source: CampaignBrief

Yemen Launches Biggest-Ever Tourism Campaign in Gulf

Yemen has launched what it says was the biggest-ever tourism campaign in the Arabian Gulf countries. The campaign, kicked off on Wednesday in Qatar’s capital Doha, covers five GCC member states. It coincided with the hosting of the 20th Gulf football cup in the south. Deputy Minister for Tourism Mutahar Taqi said the tourism promotion campaign started in Qatar due to this country’s important role in supporting the tourism sector in Yemen which comes after the oil sector in terms of contributing to the investment boost. The championship, being held in Aden and Abyan, represented a push to develop the tourism sector, he said, denying the last events topped by Al-Qaeda’s threat have affected tourism in the country. “Many visitors continue to arrive in Yemeni cities, putting the unfair media propaganda over the situation in Yemen behind them.”

The security and political situations in Yemen are good, and we urge foreign media to exercise maximum accuracy as to what they report on any thing in our country, he said.

“We also urge the media and those interested in Yemen to introduce Yemen as it is in reality and to avoid distortion.”

Inaccurate reports have hampered tourism in Yemen more than real events did, he said. Yemen has recently taken several steps aimed at improving the tourism sector including the establishment of the tourism security unit and tourism police. Moreover, the Tourism Minister has a number of improvement projects coinciding with the championship aimed at attracting more visitors to Yemen. Earlier this week, Tourism Minister said the revenue from the championship was estimated more than $ 600 million.  source: Yemen Post