
This week, we look at the world of Tourism Marketing. Every country and city competes for lucrative tourism dollars, and the resulting marketing is often highly creative and fascinating. We’ll tell t…
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Farnoosh Tarabi
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Terry O'Reilly
from the under the Influence Digital box set. This episode is from season four, 2015.
Keith Oman
You're soaking in it. You go loving in an instant. Your teeth look whiter than no, no,
Farnoosh Tarabi
no,
Keith Oman
You're not you.
Knox
When you're hungry,
Keith Oman
you're in good hands with.
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You're under the influence of Terry O'Reilly.
Terry O'Reilly
Edouard and Andre Michelin believed they knew what made the world go round. Tires. So they started a tire business in France in 1889. They were among the first to use air filled pneumatic tires on cars, and the brothers realized that their future was tied to the success of the automobile. The problem was there were only about 3,000 cars in all of France. Furthermore, automobiles were still a novelty and most owners only drove their cars on Sundays. That presented a problem for the growth of Michelin if people weren't traveling, they weren't wearing down their tires. So in 1900, the Michelin brothers decided to create a guide to encourage traveling. The first edition of the Michelin guide contained an array of practical information for motorists, including how to repair tires, where to find gas stations, maps and a list of Mechanics. They printed 35,000 copies and gave them out free of charge. In 1920, Andre Michelin paid a visit to a tire retailer and noticed to his dismay that his Michelin guide was being used to prop up a workbench. That prompted Andre to charge for all subsequent issues, saying, man only respects what he pays for. That same year, a big addition was made to the Michelin guide. It began to include listings of restaurants and Parisian hotels. Circulation jumped to 155,000 copies. In 1926, the first one star fine dining rating was born. By the mid-30s, the famous three star rating was employed. One star meant a very good restaurant worth stopping for, two stars excellent cooking worth a detour. And three stars signaled exceptional cuisine worth a special trip. Note the travel language. To this day, a restaurant or hotel that boasts a Michelin star is proof of an exceptional establishment. Losing stars, on the other hand, is dramatic. Tough. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay actually cried when his New York restaurant lost its two star rating. Today, the Michelin guide covers over 20 countries across four continents. And it all began to get people traveling so that a tire company could do more business. Convincing people to travel is one of the most challenging areas of marketing. It's also one of the most competitive, with nations battling nations and cities battling cities to bring in the most tourist dollars. From a city that promises naughty weekends to a state that offered a job to one person, to a country that saw its travel numbers jump when it was insulted in a movie. Tourism marketing is a world unto itself.
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Terry O'Reilly
Tourism is one of the busiest categories in the world of marketing. In terms of economic power, tourism rivals oil, energy, finance and agriculture. The World Tourism Organization estimated that in 2013, 1 billion tourists spent over $1.4 trillion worldwide. A few years ago, we talked about how countries brand themselves. But how countries and cities market to attract tourists is the other side of the co. Recently, the state of Ohio put out an RFP for their tourism business. An RFP is a request for proposal that invites advertising agencies to pitch for its account. The Ohio RFP was quite unusual because of its jolting honesty. It said that in the past, the Ohio tourist department had engaged in Random acts of marketing over the last few years. And this time it was serious. The RFP went on to say that it's not just about throwing a bunch of destinations at people and saying, come spend time here. We need to capture the emotional qualities that make Ohio distinctive. It was bold and to the point. And on point, I may add. Most tourism marketing is just that, a rapid fire collection of locations thrown at people. It's a category of marketing that is rarely done well because the best, most effective marketing is based on emotion. Almost all campaigns are anchored by a tagline or slogan. Coming up with a good one is always a difficult challenge. In all my years of copywriting, I never thought I was much good at it. Big campaign ideas? Yes. Creative radio commercials, sure. Catchy slogans. Purgatory. That's why I admire the great ones. And one of my favorites was created for Sin City. Throughout the 90s, Las Vegas ran typical tourism advertising. It looked like a chamber of Commerce brochure featuring golf courses, pools, shopping and Vegas shows. But casinos were beginning to pop up all over North America, threatening to make Las Vegas a commodity. So in 2003, the ad agency handling the Las Vegas tourism account decided they needed a more emotional message. Instead of just showing various sites and locations in quickly edited montages, the agency decided to frame Las Vegas as an experience. Next, they did an extensive series of surveys and focus groups in order to define what that experience was. The results were clear. People considered Vegas as a, quote, adult Disneyland, where they could be somebody, they couldn't be at home and do it guilt free. Armed with that insight, the agency came up with the tagline, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. And they shot some funny commercials based on that slogan. In each one, somebody does something wild in Vegas that they have to keep secret when they get back home. The magic of the ads was that there was always missing information, and viewers had to fill in the hilarious blanks. In one of the early commercials, a woman writes a postcard to send back home, listing all the things she did in Vegas. Then she thinks twice and smudges out an entire paragraph. In another ad, a couple are in a doctor's office. As the doctor looks at a brain scan, he says he can't see anything wrong with the husband's brain. Hubby looks relieved but sheepish. Then his wife says, I don't get it. How can somebody forget an entire week? When the commercials hit the air, what happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas became a media sensation. Tourism numbers hit new records. Hotel occupancy rates skyrocketed in the first year. A USA Today consumer poll ranked the campaign as the nation's most effective, ahead of Coke, McDonald's and other big brands. It was a runaway success, and the line became part of pop culture. When first lady Laura Bush was on the Tonight Show, Jay Leno asked her about a recent visit to Las Vegas.
Keith Oman
Last night, I imagine, partying till dawn. Did you gamble at all while you're there? Did you pull a slot machine? Did you go to a Chippendale show? I don't know. What did you do? Jay? What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Knox
Really?
Terry O'Reilly
The campaign is still running 12 years later and has remained hilarious. Here's a recent ad where a guy in Vegas is fibbing about his profession to a series of women.
Jamie
Well, the technical term for what I do is neurosurgery. I am a brain doctor. I'm a lifeguard. I save people. I'm a race car driver. Formula 2. Me? Oh, I'm a hand model. 20 million. No, that's not enough. I'm a big game hunter, cage fighter, lumberjack.
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Jamie
Yeah, well, I do have the dolphins. I'm an author.
Keith Oman
Mostly books.
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You told my friend you were a lawyer.
Terry O'Reilly
In the off season, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Of course, not everyone in Las Vegas loved the line. One church posted a billboard that said, quote, what happens in Vegas, God knows about. But the mayor of Las Vegas loved it, saying, anybody who wouldn't come to Vegas because they don't like the slogan, I don't want them here. And we'll be right back.
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Terry O'Reilly
If you're enjoying this episode, why not dip into our archives available wherever you download your pods? Go to terryoriley CA for a master episode list back in August of 2012, a very interesting tourism campaign in Iceland was actually inspired by a missing tourist. A tour bus was driving through a volcanic region of southern Iceland when it stopped for a break in a picture opportunity. When everyone got back on the bus, the driver noticed a woman was missing. He waited an hour, but she never returned. Authorities were called in and a bulletin was issued looking for a woman, 5 foot 2, between 20 and 30 years old, of Asian descent, dressed in black. Over 50 rescue workers scoured the area. One of the people helping in the search was a fellow bus rider. She was 5 2, between 20 and 30 years old, of Asian descent. Around 3am she suddenly realized that the searchers were looking for her. When she had stepped off the bus, she had not only stretched her legs but changed into brightly colored clothes. The driver had done an incorrect head count and her fellow passengers didn't recognize her when she returned. And when the press got hold of the story, they couldn't resist running headlines like Quote Tourist in Iceland Spends Weekend Finding Herself. So Iceland decided to run with the humor. They invited tourists who had been to Iceland previously to submit a story about how they found themselves in Iceland and why they deserved to be Iceland's Tourist of the Year. Winners got a free trip for two with airfare, accommodation and a fun week of touring Iceland's beauty. The contest inspired by that missing tourist has attracted thousands of entries and has generated press around the world, and Iceland has run it every year since 2012. One of the smartest tourism campaigns of the last few years came out of Queensland, Australia in 2009 as a tourist destination. Queensland is the second largest state in Australia, but only had a small $1 million budget. To put that into perspective, Las Vegas spends over $80 million a year. So here's what Queensland did. They created an entire campaign that looked like a classified ad advertising, quote, the best job in the world. The job description was for a six month contract to be the caretaker of Hamilton island in the Great Barrier Reef. Duties included taking out the garbage, picking up the mail, walking the dog, feeding the fish, and reporting about the experience while there. Oh, and the job came with a three bedroom rent free beach house, pool and golf cart. Salary $110,000 US. The classified ad was placed in newspapers and travel agencies around the world. Applicants were asked to post a one minute video on the Queensland website explaining why they were the procedure for the job. The results were overwhelming. First, the best job in the world story broke on Reuters at sunrise and was picked up by press right around the world.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Are you looking for work?
Jamie (Podcast with Knox and Jamie)
Well, you may want to consider moving to Australia.
Keith Oman
Australia's tourism bureau looking to fill what it is calling the best job in the.
Terry O'Reilly
Could this be your new office? Hamilton island off the coast of Queensland needs a caretaker. Within two days there were over 1100 TV stories on US stations alone. There would eventually be 6000. Queensland's website received 400,000 hits within the first 30 hours. They had hoped for 400,000 hits over the course of the of a year. They hit 1 million. On day two, the servers crashed. Within 48 hours they had received 7,500 job applications. A video showcasing the islands of the Great Barrier Reef was viewed over 300,000 times. When the six week application window finally closed, Queensland had received over 8 million hits and 34,000 job applications. At least one person from every country in the world had applied. From teachers to cops to receptionists and even the son of a celebrity.
Keith Oman
Hi, I'm John and I'm a police officer in England.
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You can tell by the silly hats.
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I come from the ice tundra of the world.
Terry O'Reilly
It's really cold here in Connecticut and
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I'd love to go to your paradise.
Terry O'Reilly
My dad was the great entertainment, Mr. Dean Martin. Total media value of the one million dollar campaign was estimated to be about 110 million US. Sixteen candidates made the final cut, plus one wildcard selected by an online poll. The winner was a man named Ben Southall from the uk. This tourism campaign didn't stop at picking a winner as Southall then blogged, generated press and essentially marketed Queensland for the next six months. It's important to note that this campaign was launched in the middle of the global financial crisis. But its sunny optimism resulted In a reported 20% increase in Queensland tourism while the rest of Australia was down. This remarkable campaign was a case study in demonstrating its not how much you spend, it's how big your idea is. Queensland had managed to create a global tourism campaign on a classified ad. Bud,
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When it comes to managing money, forget the hype and look at the results. Bill has a trillion dollars of secure payments powering our Bill pay tools. Instead of just moving money, Bill is powering the financial operations of nearly half a million customers. So stop the guesswork and start scaling with the proven choice. Ready to talk with an expert? Visit bill.comproven to get started and grab a $250 gift card as a thank you. Terms and conditions apply. See Offer page for details.
Terry O'Reilly
When the Lord of the Rings trilogy hit theaters, New Zealand benefited greatly. The lush landscape featured by director Peter Jackson framed New Zealand's beauty for all to see. When Jackson announced his next film, entitled the An Unexpected Journey, the studio contacted Greg Anderson, general manager for Long Haul Markets at Tourism New Zealand. Greg's office was in Los Angeles, so he agreed to meet with the studio executives. When they explained how New Zealand could become a marketing partner on the film, Greg thought it was an incredible opportunity. Later, he explained the idea to the New Zealand executive marketing team. He was met with a stone silence. He was told that the existing campaign, 100% Pure New Zealand, was the campaign. They didn't want any distractions. Greg asked if there was a chance the Hobbit film could fit into their plans. He was given a resounding no. So when the Hobbit executives asked for another meeting with Greg, he said yes, but told them they would have to meet quietly across the street at a coffee shop. Greg still loved the idea. Eventually the studio pitched the notion to New Zealand government officials, who also loved the idea. The government had actually appointed a Minister of the Ring who mandated that the marketing department figure out a way to bring the movie and New Zealand together. The solution was found in Middle Earth. The tagline became 100% Middle Earth is 100% Pure New Zealand. The Tourism Department launched a two minute travel film that director Peter Jackson posted on his Facebook page. Many of his 600 fans quickly figured out the voiceover was actor Richard Armitage, who played dwarf prince Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit trilogy.
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Your journey starts beneath southern skies where crater and ocean meet,
Terry O'Reilly
A land where
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giant volcanoes once ruled the sky, where two suns set.
Terry O'Reilly
The video would go on to attract 11 million views in only three months. Then, on the day of the Hobbit premiere, the Nation's televised weather report was broadcast entirely in Elvish, a Middle Earth language constructed by author J.R.R. tolkien.
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Terry O'Reilly
All the digital elements of the Middle Earth marketing campaign got a Tolkien esque makeover, including a beautiful virtual book linking locations to the film and giving travelers Middle Earth themed itineraries. When you arrived in New Zealand, the passport stamp you received said welcome to Middle Earth. Air New Zealand painted a dragon on one of its biggest planes, proclaiming itself the Airline of Middle Earth. Even the In Flight safety video got the hobbit treatment with elves, warriors and even cameos from Gollum and director Peter Jackson.
Keith Oman
Welcome aboard this Air Middle Earth flight. Before we set out on our journey, I would like to impart a story
Terry O'Reilly
of safety The Middle Earth campaign was voted the world's leading destination marketing campaign at the World Travel Awards in 2012 and New Zealand was named favorite emerging destination overseas by the Conde Nast Travel Awards. Tourism was up 16% year over year, with 13% of those travelers saying the campaign had directly influenced their decision. New Zealand may have a tiny population with a tiny budget, but its ambitions are global.
Keith Oman
My country over Kazakhstan. It's nice.
Terry O'Reilly
Then there was Borat. Comedian Sasha Baron Cohen co wrote and starred in the movie entitled Cultural Learnings of America for make benefit Glorious nation of Kazakhstan,
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Greatest country in the country.
Terry O'Reilly
In the film, Borat is a Kazakh journalist sent to the US to report on American culture. Throughout the movie, Borat describes Kazakhstan as racist, sexist and primitive to say the least. Prior to the film, most people didn't know anything about Kazakhstan or even where it was, but it went from invisible to infamous. Overnight, the government of Kazakhstan was furious and immediately jumped into damage control. It banned the film and threatened to sue Cohen. It prohibited the sale of DVDs and blocked the Borat website. But then a curious thing happened. Foreign travel spiked. In the six months following the release of Borat, 10 times more people were applying for visas than ever before. Tourism was up a full 13%. Borat was driving tourism In a scene that could have come right out of the movie. The Kazakhstan foreign minister actually thanked Borat publicly for helping to attract tourists. Sometimes a successful marketing campaign can come from the least likely source. As the Kazakhstan press secretary said, it's a blessing in heavy disguise. Who would have thought that the Michelin guide was created by a tire company just to get people traveling? Today, cities and countries rely on tourism dollars. The best tourism campaigns capture the emotion of the destination. The way the beautiful Newfoundland tourism ads do or the exquisite supernatural British Columbia marketing has done since the late 70s. Interesting to note that all the campaigns we talked about today were built around stories. Australia's best job in the world was an irresistible story. New Zealand's Middle Earth campaign was rooted in a story. What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas is a series of hilarious stories. And Iceland's travel contest was inspired by the amusing story of a tourist who searched for herself. Even the upsurge in Kazakhstan's tourism was the result of of a story. People love stories. They don't love commercials with fast edits showing as much stuff as possible in 30 seconds. Only marketing people sitting around a boardroom table do. Ohio has it right. The best tourism campaigns can't just be random acts of marketing. They have to take us on a journey before we even get there. When you're under the influence, I'm Terry O'Reilly.
Keith Oman
Hey Terry, it's Keith. As you might remember, I'm in Vegas for the Swedish Smorgasbord Expo. Listen, one thing led to another and yada yada, I need a little bail money. Long story.
Terry O'Reilly
Call Me under the Influence was recorded at Pirate Toronto. Series producer Debbie O'Reilly sound engineer Keith Oman Theme music by Ari Posner and Ian LeFever research Margie Gilmore do you wear clothes when you listen to our show? If so, have we got a T shirt for you. Go to terryoriley Ca shop. See you next week.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Hi, this is Farnoosh Tarabi from Sew Money with Farnoosh Tarabi. And today I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile. Quick Money Tip Stop paying a carrier tax if your phone bill feels trapped in a pricey plan, this is your sign to unlock savings. Boost Mobile helps you reset your spending. With the $25 Unlimited Forever plan, you can bring your own phone, pay $25, and get unlimited wireless forever. And that simple switch can unlock up to $600 in savings a year. That's money you could put towards paying down debt, investing or something that actually brings you joy. Those savings are based on average annual single line payment of AT and T, Verizon and T Mobile customers, compared to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan as of January 2026. For full offer details, visit boostmobile.com here's
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Jamie
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Knox
Do you like being educated on things that entertain but don't matter? Well, then you need to be listening to the Podcast with Knox and Jamie Every Wednesday. We put together an episode dedicated to delightful idiocy to give your brain a break from all the serious and important stuff.
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Episode Title: S4E15 – Tourism Marketing
Release Date: April 12, 2015
Host: Terry O’Reilly (Apostrophe Podcast Network)
In this rich and engaging episode, Terry O’Reilly explores the fascinating, high-stakes world of tourism marketing—one of the largest, most emotionally driven sectors of the ad industry. O’Reilly unravels the secrets behind some of the world’s most successful tourism campaigns, demonstrating how powerful storytelling, creative slogans, and a bit of luck can dramatically transform a city, state, or nation’s ability to attract visitors (and their dollars). From the quirky origins of the Michelin Guide to Iceland’s missing tourist campaign, Queensland’s legendary “Best Job in the World” contest, New Zealand’s “Middle Earth” transformation, and Borat’s unintended consequences for Kazakhstan, the episode reveals why the best tourism marketing takes travelers on a journey before they even arrive.
[02:47–06:07]
“Man only respects what he pays for.”
[06:25–11:53]
“We need to capture the emotional qualities that make Ohio distinctive.”
[07:54–12:31]
“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” [11:39]
[14:22–16:45]
[16:47–20:53]
[22:08–25:52]
[26:34–28:57]
“It’s a blessing in heavy disguise.”
“The best tourism campaigns capture the emotion of the destination… campaigns we talked about today were built around stories.” [28:57]
| Timestamp | Segment Summary | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:47–06:07| Michelin Guide origin and evolution—how a tire company kickstarted world travel marketing | | 06:25–07:54| Global impact of tourism and the flaws in most campaigns | | 07:54–12:31| Las Vegas: From commoditized resort to cultural phenomenon with "What Happens in Vegas" | | 14:22–16:45| Iceland: Missing tourist incident and the resulting campaign | | 16:47–20:53| Queensland’s clever “Best Job in the World” campaign | | 22:08–25:52| New Zealand: Hobbit movies, Middle Earth branding, and international accolades | | 26:34–28:57| Kazakhstan: Borat fallout turns into unexpected tourism windfall | | 28:57–30:50| Episode wrap-up: Emotional storytelling as the key to great tourism marketing |
This episode demonstrates that brilliant tourism marketing is less about budgets or checklists, and more about bold, resonant storytelling that sparks the imagination. Whether humor, fantasy, or a sense of adventure, the best campaigns take audiences on journeys of the mind—long before they buy a ticket.