The COVID-19 pandemic may continue to curb travel plans, but it has not curbed the creativity of the tourism industry. 2021 brought a bevy of innovative tourism marketing campaigns to set the tone for an exhilarating future.
Here are some of our favourite tourism marketing moments of this past year, and the themes we thought struck the most on-the-money tone for eager adventurers. As you brainstorm for your marketing in 2022? Look no further for sublime inspiration.
Campaigns that speak directly to locals
Civic pride is a huge motivator, and some tourism campaigns focus almost exclusively on attracting locals.
1. The Childrenâs Museum of Manhattanâs âTie-Dye Julyâ campaign
In New York City, the Childrenâs Museum of Manhattan partnered with Rit Dye and Bombas to invite local families to âTie-Dye Julyâ events. Every Saturday in July 2021, families were invited to come make a tie-dye creation to take home âa nice way to support local families whoâve been cooped up for a long time, and a smart way to loop in partners with deeper marketing pockets.
2. The New York Historical Societyâs âHistory Respondsâ campaign
Just a few blocks away, the New York Historical Society has been curating an ongoing exhibit collecting materials related to the COVID pandemic, with a focus on New York thatâs dear to the hearts of local citizens. As part of its âHistory Respondsâ initiative, the museum reached out to New Yorkers for seemingly mundane artifacts such as flyers that reference the pandemic, COVID-19-related mass emails, face masks with slogans, and protest signs. This ambitious effort has been praised in the press, including the New York Times and ArtNet News.
â New-York Historical Society (@NYHistory) August 28, 2021Not all heroes wear capes.âŁ
To show their gratitude for frontline workers, artist Beñat Iglesias López & his four-year-old son Teo worked for 2 weeks creating this sculpture of a young superhero holding a thank you sign.
On view in our new #HistoryResponds installation. pic.twitter.com/FovebcyOfh
(Video) Hong Kong gives away 500,000 free airline tickets to rescue tourism
The post-pandemic tourism campaign theme
Visitors may be eager to get back to travel and adventure, but itâs not as simple as saying âWelcome back!â People are still nervous about their health and safety, so the brands and venues addressing concerns head-on have an advantage. They send a reassuring message that they have the wellbeing of visitors in mind.
Here are two of the best 2021 tourism campaigns that addressed safety and wellbeing:
3. Israelâs âWelcome Back to Israel!â tourism campaign
Israel isnât just a country with âthousands of years of historyâ. Itâs hit âa new landmarkâ as one of the most vaccinated countries on the planet. While this campaign video, with its upbeat background track, shows people enjoying themselves, youâll note that theyâre conspicuously outside â at the beach, rollerblading, walking through marketplaces and historical sites. Thereâs no beating around the bush with this message. The narrator notes that Israel is âone of the safest destinations in the world,â offering fully vaccinated people a âgreen passportâ so they can freely enter indoor spaces and return home without quarantining.
4. New York Cityâs âNYC Reawakensâ tourism campaign
In this earnest video, NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon and restaurateur Danny Meyer talk candidly about New York Cityâs return to tourism. The city that was hit hard in the early days of the pandemic is âre-awakening all around usâ and âvery much alive and thrivingâ according to Dixon. The video shows fast-paced clips of people on the streets, on the subway, and in restaurant parklets, with a special focus on welcoming back international visitors: âWeâre going to show them a whole new side of New York they never even knew existed!â
Make it your own: The pandemic is not over, but cities, countries, museums, and attractions that have the right policies in place are safely welcoming back visitors whoâve been cooped up for a long time. Donât shy away from this subject in your marketing campaign. While these examples are about entire places, even the smallest venue can take advantage of the âwelcome backâ theme.
Escapism: Get away from your woes
Look, itâs been stressful. Weâve all slogged through the last two years. You deserve to unwind! So, what do you want? This is the question asked at the beginning of Greeceâs 2021 tourism marketing campaign.
5. Greeceâs âAll You Want Is Greeceâ tourism campaign
The question is asked, and the answer is supplied: âAll you want is Greece.â Hedonism is given the respect it deserves in a series of five short videos promoting the many beauties of this Mediterranean country.
6. Tiqetsâ âSummer of a Lifetimeâ tourism campaign
Spain! Italy! France! The UK! The USA! The Netherlands!
These were the destinations featured in Tiqetsâ own campaign âSummer of a Lifetime,â which received press coverage in all of these countries and more with its upbeat messaging: âYou know youâve been waiting for this moment, and itâs time to get your spark back at the most iconic museums and attractions.â This campaign theme tapped into a feeling many experienced during lockdown: a yearning for the good old days. The campaign encourage people to take full advantage of summer 2021 and do all the things they missed most during lockdown.
Make it your own: Having fun and getting away from it all will never go out of style, but in a time when weâve all been suffering just a little more than usual, itâs a particularly apt marketing message. Emphasize the ways in which your venue helps visitors escape âeither because they get lost in the fun or because you offer a serious opportunity for R&R.
The theme of environmental awareness
Fun is great, but of course, what we do today affects tomorrow. This is an environmental truth, but itâs also the first line of a moving marketing campaign video from Scotland, one of a handful of 2021 tourism campaigns that tackled the theme of environmental awareness and respect for the land.
7. Scotlandâs âYours to Enjoy. Responsiblyâ tourism marketing campaign
âLetâs keep Scotland special,â urges the narrator of this peaceful video, which urges the visitor to âTake only pictures, and leave only footprints,â while simultaneously showing the visual splendour of the northern country and its culture.
8. Portugalâs âHello World â Itâs Me, Tomorrowâ tourism marketing campaign
A hopeful-sounding childâs voice opens this video about the beauty of Portugalâs landscape âits patterns and textures, and its hues âfrom blue to green, and all the colors in between,â as the camera pans over stunning vistas.
Make it your own: While tourism campaigns have historically been about the visitor experience, these examples pivot to being about the land, and their message is a beautiful one. Environmentalism isnât just a trendy marketing theme right now; itâs extremely important to the tourism industry. Marketing campaigns that are transparent about this fact win points with travelers for being candid and real. At the same time, you donât have to make a hard sell about coming to visit. Just offer a glorious glimpse at what a visit now and in the future could be like.
Tourism campaign themes full of irreverence and humor
If there are two universal truths right now, they might be:
- We could all use a good laugh
- Weâre spending a lot more time online than ever before
Why not take advantage of these fundamental properties of being human in 2021?
Social media is obviously one of the best ways to promote your attraction on a budget and reach a potentially enormous audience, but to attract attention in a crowded online space, you need a creative idea.
9. The Black Country Living Museumâs TikTok campaign
@blackcountrylivingmuseum Ah, the good old days #learnontiktok #1950s #vintage
⏠space girl â Frances Forever
TikTok is a great platform for getting irreverent, and the Black Country Living Museum is good at TikTok. All through 2021, the museum in the historic Black Country of Dudley, England, taught mini history lessons with actors dressed in Victorian garb juxtaposed against modern hip-hop music.
10. The Metâs âMetTwinningâ campaign
Thereâs been a social trend recently of people imitating classic works of art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (âThe Metâ) capitalized on this rage with its #MetTwinning social media campaign in 2020 and 2021. The campaign has been very successful, and The Art Newspaper commended the Met for using smart marketing to gain hundreds of thousands of followers and a huge bump in engagement throughout the lockdown days of the pandemic. Other museums, like the Getty Museum, followed suit.
Wendyâs World #mettwinning #gettymuseumchallenge #betweenartandquarantine #tussenkunstenquarantaine #artchallenge #christinasworld #andrewwyeth pic.twitter.com/v4VsgMYS4N
â Wendy (@Wendy42021319) May 2, 2020
Make it your own: Social media is the ideal forum for irreverent, humorous tourism campaign marketing, and it can be quite low effort in terms of production cost to produce fun original content. Lean into the more social-savvy members of your team for original ideas for fresh content.
These are just a few of the dominant themes of tourism campaigns in 2021, and we canât wait to see what 2022 has in store. Will your museum, attraction, or tourism agency make next yearâs list?
Ready for even more of our favourite tourism campaign ideas? Check out 8 of the Best Museum Marketing Campaigns from 2020.
FAQs
What is tourism campaign? âș
The Best responsible tourism campaign category looks to award a tourist board, tour operators, or tourism organisation or other individual or organisation which has developed a campaign successfully promoting a more responsible way to travel, educating travellers, and changing travel behaviour.
What is incredible India campaign? âșThe Ministry of Tourism has launched the âIncredible India 2.0â Campaign which marks a shift from generic promotions across the world to market specific promotional plans and content creation.
How do I attract tourists to our region? âșBy creating partnerships with local hotels, restaurants, tour operators, travel agencies, entertainment venues, and your local tourism board, you'll be able to generate tourists' interest on a larger scale.
How can I promote my tourist spot? âș- Highlight the history and culture. Every destination has its own unique story. ...
- Share your tasty tips. ...
- Offer visitors a breath of fresh air. ...
- Suggest local stores and businesses. ...
- Include your personal testimony.
- Design a Strong Website. ...
- Use Email Marketing Strategically. ...
- Be Social on Social Media. ...
- Attend Trade Shows. ...
- Emphasize Brand Centric Customer Relationship Management. ...
- Measure Your Success.
Tourism marketing is the collective name given to the various marketing strategies used by businesses within the tourism industry. This includes, for example, hotels and other forms of accommodation, along with airlines, car rental services, restaurants, entertainment venues, travel agents and tour operators.
What is the tourism slogan of India? âșThe phrase "Incredible India" was adopted as a slogan by the ministry. Before 2002, the Indian government had regularly formulated policies and prepared pamphlets and brochures for the promotion of tourism, however, it had not supported tourism in a concerted fashion.
Why is India the best? âșA unique land of vibrant colours, breathtaking landscapes and rich history, India is unlike any other. From the writhing streets of Mumbai to the idyllic shores of the Andaman Islands, this remarkable country offers a diverse feast for the senses.
Who is the brand ambassador of Indian tourism? âș| Government Schemes/Campaigns Brand Ambassadors In India | |
|---|---|
| Brand Ambassadors | Government schemes/Campaigns/Misc. |
| Salman Khan | Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Ambassador |
| Madhuri Dixit | MAA- Mothers Absolute Affection' |
| Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra | Incredible India |
- Create an Engaging Website. ...
- Make Sure your Website is SEO-Optimised. ...
- Start Blogging. ...
- Use Promotional Videos. ...
- Build a Strong Social Media Presence. ...
- Use Influencers to Attract Customers. ...
- Email Marketing. ...
- Run Digital Advertisements.
What makes a tourist attraction successful? âș
A touristic attraction can be made successful through continuous excellent marketing of the attraction and provision of positive experiences to the visitors. I personally feel that the comfortless and ease of pleasure to the tourist is most essential.
How can social media be used to promote tourism? âșBy curating positive reviews and encouraging social shares, hospitality brands can leverage social media to build positive brand awareness, increase brand loyalty, and display just how much their accommodations and activities have to offer.
What are the four broad strategies for attracting visitors? âș- #1 Use Storytelling to Differentiate Yourself from Your Competition.
- #2 Register Your Hotel in the OTAs Your Target Audience Uses.
- #3 Promote Direct Reservations Through Your Website.
- #4 Manage Your Reviews Online Through TripAdvisor.
- Stimulate the senses. We experience our world through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. ...
- Authenticity. Make the visitor experience authentic. ...
- Learning. ...
- Balance familiar and unfamiliar. ...
- Participation. ...
- Match the visitor's mental and behavioral script. ...
- The symbolic level. ...
- Holistic approach.
Tourism is the largest and fastest-growing industry across the world. It is a source of revenue and employment. It also gives the opportunity for people to understand the culture, civilization, and religious aspects of a country. There are many countries whose main source of revenue is Tourism.
What is Destination Campaign? âș16 May 2022. Destination marketing is a type of marketing which advertises a particular country, town or region so that people are inspired to visit the area. The purpose of destination marketing is to encourage audiences to travel to a particular location after they're exposed to related advertisements.
What is the tourism marketing? âșIn a nutshell, Tourism Marketing is a marketing strategy that uses specific marketing plan and techniques to promote touristic products and services such as destinations, hotels and transport services, etc.
What is promotional strategy in tourism? âșLike any other marketing activity, the purpose of tourism marketing is to promote the business, make it stand out from rivals, attract customers, and generate brand awareness. It also uses the same marketing channels. Digital channels such as social media, search engine marketing, affiliate marketing, etc.
How can we promote tourism product and services? âș- Forming Tourism Partnerships. Partnerships help maximize your marketing dollars and reach a broader and more desirable audience when promoting tourism for a given destination. ...
- Travel and Tourism Trade Shows. ...
- Advertising in Trade Publications. ...
- Sponsoring Events and Giveaways. ...
- Social Media and Influencer Marketing.
There are three major roles that advertising plays in the tourism industry: To inform tourists to visit a destination and everything tourists need to know about the place. Persuade tourists to visit a destination. To remind tourists about a destination and where to do all the bookings from.
What does campaign mean in marketing? âș
A marketing campaign is a strategic sequence of steps and activities that promote your company's product or service, with a specific goal in mind. Campaign efforts may involve a range of media, such as radio, television, in-person events, and digital media.
What are the challenges in tourism campaign? âș- Globalisation. Globalisation is leading to the creation of uniform standards and protocols. ...
- Taxation. Tourism is one of the most taxed sectors. ...
- Travel Marketing. ...
- Infrastructure. ...
- Security.
In a nutshell, Tourism Marketing is a marketing strategy that uses specific marketing plan and techniques to promote touristic products and services such as destinations, hotels and transport services, etc.