Travelers are drawn to Arizona by the blinding desert sunshine, but the Grand Canyon state has so much more to offer. Under these flawless blue skies, everything you can imagine to entice, entertain and enthrall is up for grabs.
25.08.2023 - 13:19 / skift.com / Dawit Habtemariam
Minneapolis recently concluded an aggressive marketing push titled “See What All the Fuss Is About,” a spring tourism campaign meant to combat the online narrative that the city’s a ghost town and its best days are forever behind it.
“We wanted to take back that mic, ” said Courtney Ries, senior vice president of destination branding and strategy for Meet Minneapolis, the city’s destination marketing organization. “We didn’t want other people to be in charge of that narrative.”
The negative sentiment comes from all sides.
Many Minnesotans have a negative view about their state’s largest city. Social media and the comment section on Minneapolis-related articles in the Minnesota’s paper of record, Star Tribune, have carried a “I wouldn’t go there” sentiment, according to Ries.
Last fall, CNN published an investigative piece that noted rising crime and a feeling of “lawlessness.”
The $500,000 advertising campaign included TV, billboards, radio and influencer collaboration to play on the negative commentary. One billboard read “Empty, But Not Like Twitter Says” with empty cocktail glasses and another that says “”Deserted But Not Like You’ve Hear” with images of deserts.
“A lot of those people hadn’t gone and hadn’t seen it themselves,” said Ries. “They’re just relying on whatever type of media diet they’re enjoying and not seeing it for themselves.”
A post shared by Best Friend Travel Bloggers | Minnesota + Wisconsin (@thriftywithacompass)
The City of Lakes isn’t the only city to combat its bad public look. San Francisco Travel last month launched a $6 million advertising campaign to remind tourists it’s still as fun as it was before the pandemic and not the decaying image prevalent in national news.
Like Portland, Minneapolis’ reputation suffered in the aftermath of large scale protests. In 2020, Minneapolis was the site of the death of George Floyd, whose murder kicked off a wave of protests and unrest that engulfed cities across America. Amid the unrest, parts of the city saw extensive millions of dollars in property damage, looting and an upsurge in violence.
VIDEO: Protesters set Minneapolis police station on fire.
Demonstrators set fire to the Minneapolis police station amid rage in the streets over the shocking police killing of a handcuffed black man pic.twitter.com/w9O6CM00Eg
The downtown area has had challenges with a safety perception problem as well as violent crime. But there’s been a “marked improvement” in both areas, said Ries.
“We have a lot more people that are more willing to say ‘I was downtown. I had an incredible time. I can’t wait to go back. I really miss that city experience,’ “ she said.
But like New York, Chicago and other major cities, downtown still has a high number
Travelers are drawn to Arizona by the blinding desert sunshine, but the Grand Canyon state has so much more to offer. Under these flawless blue skies, everything you can imagine to entice, entertain and enthrall is up for grabs.
A lesser-known region in Italy wants to reap the rewards of tourism.
With the pandemic now over, what’s the future of tourism? What does the decline of full-time office employees mean for tourism and business travel? Why hasn’t U.S. solved its visa delay mess? We’ll discuss these topics with the executives of NYC Tourism+Conventions, U.S. Travel Association, Visit Britain, Intrepid Travel and others on-stage at the Skift Global Forum in New York on September 26-28.
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps.
Destination DC will spend nearly $20 million on marketing in an upcoming advertising campaign as the city deals with a slow travel recovery.
The U.S. travel industry is cheering on the Biden Administration’s new push to get more federal employees back into the office.
A full recovery in airline passenger volumes in Europe has been pushed back to 2025 from 2024, the body representing European airports said on Tuesday, revising the industry’s optimistic tone about its post-Covid recovery.
Pure Michigan is back. The advertising arm of Travel Michigan, the state’s official tourism promotion office, is launching a national winter marketing campaign for the time since 2019, featuring videos showcasing Michigan as a prime destination for cold weather adventures.
Peru’s post-pandemic recovery will take longer than expected because of the violent political protests that started in December. As the protests continue, the country’s competitiveness as a tourist destination is at risk if the political situation isn’t resolved and images of unrest and chaos stay in the international spotlight.
The airline industry plans to invoke EU rights to freedom of movement to push back against environmental restrictions on short-haul flights, officials in the sector said, following a partial ban in France approved by Brussels in December.
Ireland is taking the next step in its comeback as the country’s tourism board recently unveiled a new $84 million marketing campaign with the goal of boosting visitor revenue beyond pre-pandemic levels.
Rural and outdoor destinations are contending with slower growth rates compared to their pandemic boom as big cities become competitive again and Americans travel internationally.