Seoul tourism goes Gangnam Style, while Downton Abbey proves a big draw upstairs—and downstairs—for the UK.
2013-01-25 — /travelprnews.com/ — Marketers everywhere love viral videos. The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is no stranger to their power, with 500,000 people viewing “Canada. Shared by Canadians” within seven days of its release on YouTube.
CTC News is back with another news digest of the work of tourism marketing organizations around the world. Thanks again to CTC’s colleagues, partners, general sales agents and industry friends for passing on the intel.
- Going Gangnam: The Seoul Convention Bureau in South Korea climbed aboard the viral-video bandwagon with a December competition on its Facebook page. It asked viewers to say what Gangnam Style meant to them after watching a video. The contest and video looked to cash on the pop video’s sensational near one billion views on YouTube and highlight Seoul’s convention centre, hotels and other attractions.
- You rang, m’ lady? With “Downton Abbey” still the talk of TV around the world, VisitBritain has rolled out new travel experiences based around the smash-hit drama. A three-day package gives a taste of upstairs-downstairs life; small group tours go around Highclere Castle and the village of Bampton (stand-ins for Downton Abbey and the eponymous village in the show). Fans who want to share the same beds as used by the cast can book rooms at The Carnarvon Arms.
- Taxi! The Philippines’ Department of Tourism is tapping into the European market by branding London’s iconic black cabs and buses. The campaign looks to steer consumers already booked on city breaks to Singapore and Hong Kong over to the islands. The UK is the primary source of travellers to the Philippines from Europe.
- Start them up: Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, is rolling out the welcome mat to visitors. The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority now has its first, gleaming new destination website, which offers a selection of multi-day packages.
- Up, up and away: The International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s latest forecast makes for encouraging reading. In 2016, airlines expect to carry around 3.6 billion passengers, up 800 million on 2011. The IATA Airline Industry Forecast 2012-2016 points to an average growth of 5.3% over the next four years, with nearly 500 million new passengers taking domestic trips as well as 331 new million international flights. The Asia-Pacific region will fuel the strongest growth, especially China.