Just because we can’t travel now doesn’t mean we can’t keep the fantasy of travel alive in our customers’ minds. Here’s a round-up of destinations doing their bit to keep dreaming alive.
Ecuador: Yesterday
Eucador, like most countries in the world, is in lockdown to fend off the coronavirus. However, the country wants to remind travellers it is waiting to welcome them back with open arms when the virus storm abates.
The Ecuador ministry of tourism has released and dedicated a nostagic, beautiful video, aptly called ‘Yesterday’, to the global hospitality community. It is designed to raise spirits amid the pandemic, and seeks to remind holidaymakers of the virtues of travel.
Visit Auckland: Papatūānuku (our earth mother) is Breathing
While New Zealand is in lockdown amid the Covid-19 outbreak, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) has produced a stunning video that captures the beauty and stillness of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (the Māori-language name for Auckland) and to show that Papatūānuku (our earth mother) is still breathing.
ATEED staff made the two-minute video with the aim of creating a connection and a message that reflects the region’s uniquely Māori culture while using existing Auckland footage.
ATEED’s general manager destination Steve Armitage hopes the video encourages New Zealanders while they are in lockdown. He said the video has a simple message – this is a time of rest and to take a moment to appreciate the stillness and the beauty of the region they live in.
“While people are unable to visit our region at the moment, all of Auckland’s wonderful experiences will be waiting for the world when the time is right,” he added
Mayor Phil Goff added that while the country is in lockdown Papatūānuku is still breathing, providing “a heartening glimpse of what we have to look forward to when the lockdown is lifted and a showcase of what our city has to offer.”
The video has been viewed over half a million times across different platforms. It has generated the most engagements on ATEED’s Visit Auckland Facebook page, and is the highest performing video on the Visit Auckland YouTube channel with more than 100,000 views in Australia, US, UK and Canada.
Visit Monaco: Miss You
With more than three billion people around the world under lockdown, airlines grounded and many airports closed, global tourism has ground to a halt, and the principality of Monaco is one of the countries heavily affected.
But during this hiatus for the tourism industry worldwide Visit Monaca, through the Tourist & Convention Authority has rolled out a new communication campaign to stay in touch with everyone who loves to travel, whether they are already familiar with the destination or are planning to visit once the crisis is over.
The principality says it is missing everything visitors bring, from moments of friendship and fun, to the opinions and the customs that they share, the languages that they speak.
To convey this message the tourism board has created the “Miss You” video with touching snapshots of life, with people spending happy times together in Monaco and who it wishes will be back again very soon.
“Today, the message we want to convey is that we ‘Miss You’. It is supported by friendly words and pictures, to remind us of those precious times that we look forward to sharing again,” explained the tourism body. “Each tactile image inspires a desire to relive those experiences, in these unique places just as soon as possible.”
The campaign is being promoted by Monaco’s 10 representative offices in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, and on social networks, travel industry websites and magazines.
• Featured image is a screen capture from the Visit Auckland video
