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38 REGION EUROPE © Marke Saaremets - Visit Estonia © Marke Saaremets - Visit Estonia Diamond Hill, Ireland Ireland introduces the world’s first tourism advertisement rated by the heart If modern life can leave us running on empty and yearning for more authentic experiences, then Ireland is the perfect antidote. Now, a new ad campaign from Tourism Ireland has technologically proven what visitors to the island have always known: a holiday here will fill your heart with a joyful love of life. Fred and Lisa, a real married couple from Sweden who had never visited Ireland before, were invited to visit some of the island’s most spectacular locations. They wore heart-rate monitors linked to a helmet-mounted camera. Every time their heart rate changed, a wireless computer logged the information. “When the brain feels an emotion, it corresponds to an increase in heart rate,” explains Professor Brian Hughes, from the School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway. By tracking the experiences and physiological responses of the couple along the way, Tourism Ireland was able to capture the moments that evoked their most dramatic reactions. “In this experiment, where the couple are walking around experiencing beautiful, exciting things, we do see an effect...that feeling of something being really beautiful or taking your breath away – it is known that this increases your heart rate,” says Dr Alison Muir, consultant cardiologist. The end result is something unique – an ad featuring scenes chosen not by Tourism Ireland but by the hearts of Fred and Lisa, proving once and for all that Ireland’s beautiful landscapes and the authentic warmth and wit of its people offer genuine, heart-filling moments. Against a soundtrack of Home Again by Delorentos, the Tourism Ireland ad showcases 17 stunning locations around the island of Ireland – all of which were selected by by the emotions of Fred and Lisa Hall 18 / Stand 122 Pohjala Tap Room Estonia 2019: The Year Ahead Visitors of all ages can look forward to a year ahead in Estonia bursting with an incredible array of events ranging from the opening of the largest family fun centre in Europe to outstanding music events. Here are some of the country’s best events and openings to look forward to: POHJALA BREWERY, OPENED 22 ND DECEMBER 2018 The new Pohjala Brewery, home to the first craft beer producer in Estonia recently arrived in the trendy neighbourhood of Port Noblessner. Replacing the old brewery, the magnificent industrially-hip Pohlala is open for new site seeing tours. VR CENTRE DUE TO OPEN Q3 2019 The innovative, “back to the future” VR centre is set to open in Q3 of 2019. Visitors will enter through a fascinating historical building originally built for housing working submarines. Providing an interesting metaphorical link to the building’s original purpose, visitors will become submerged as they travel through various virtual worlds, a unique and exciting opportunity to be entertained like never before. NEW IBIS HOTEL OPENING Q2 2019 Hauser Group is developing the highly anticipated Ibis hotel that will open under the Accor Ibis brand. Situated in the alluring location of Juhkentali 22 in central Tallinn the hotel will be set within tempting proximity to Tallinn’s top-rated restaurants, cocktail bars and scandi-inspired brunch spots, just 15 minutes from the UNESCO-protected Old Town Hall 18 / Stand 127 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 27 th February 2019 www.itb-berlin-news.com
EUROPE REGION 39 Maria Elena Rossi Director of Marketing and Promotion, ENIT Upward trend confirmed for Italy inbound tourism MICHELANGELO RELEASES ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDITIONS OF THEIR MAIN TOUR AND ACTIVE HOLIDAY BROCHURES Italy specialist Michelangelo International Travel will once again be exhibiting at the forthcoming ITB Berlin. The Lake Garda based tour operator will be presenting the brand-new English language versions of their main tour brochure along with their active holiday programme. Their stand area has been expanded from last year, reflecting the increasing importance of the Berlin Trade Fair for Michelangelo. “Our team has a very international outlook, we have representatives in the US and London and demand originating from Englishspeaking markets is growing all the time”, explained Ron Hehir, Business Development Manager Hall 1.2 / Stand 110 International tourism in Italy has grown rapidly in the last years, up to 210.7 million overnights in 2017, +32% since 2009. Moreover, Italy is the top international destination in the Schengen Area for Extra European Countries, with a significant growth from emerging markets. We asked Maria Elena Rossi – Director of Marketing and Promotion – ENIT (Italy’s DMO) how trends are evolving. The trend is confirmed in 2018 and 2019 forecast from big data. Together with volumes, our key performance indicators are based on value growth: total expenditure of international tourists reached 39,2 billion euro in 2017 and the first 10 months of 2018 confirm a 10% growth of international expenditure. Please tell us a little more about your marketing strategy and promotional initiatives for 2019. Are you spotlighting any specific regions this year? ENIT promotes Italy as a global tourist destination both by marketing the different Regions and destinations and by developing a sustainable and balanced distribution during the whole year. Our strategy is focused on value growth, which implies market segmentation, investments both in leisure and the meeting industry, a stronger support for areas with potential, in particular Southern Italy. Matera being the European Cultural Capital in 2019 is an excellent opportunity to develop a value offer on the international markets of less known destinations. 2019 is the Italian year for slow tourism, focusing on our extraordinary and unique soft skills, food and wine, cultural and artistic heritage. Also, special interests such as cycling, hiking, golfing and, in general, active holidays are growing fast and are consistent with the sustainable development and value growth of Italian tourism in the Alps, the Apennines and the Italian Islands. How are you celebrating ENIT’s 100th birthday? This year we celebrate Leonardo da Vinci, which will inspire us to market innovative products on mature and emerging markets. Innovation and creativity will be part of all our marketing activities around the world, under the claim ‘Italy, A beauty to treasure’. Our contribution to a sustainable tourism development in Italy is the best way to celebrate 100 years of our national tourist board. How important is ITB Berlin for ENIT in terms of reaching international trade and press? At ITB Berlin, ENIT will participate together with 16 Italian regions and hundreds of professionals. It represents the most significant opportunity for networking and for consolidating business partnerships with international trade, focusing on Germany, which is the main international inbound market for Italy Hall 1.2 / Stands 108,108a-c, 117, 119, 212 Hall 4.1 / Stand 106 INVESTMENT IN SERBIA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY FUELS RECORD VISITOR GROWTH Serbia has seen continued double digit growth in international tourists visiting the country for the sixth consecutive year. Diverse year-round offers – especially cultural offers – attract visitors to the country. Investments continue to boost Serbia’s tourism development. In 2017, over 1.497,000 tourists visited the country representing a 17% increase on the previous year and already in the first 9 months of 2018, tourist arrivals had increased by 15%. About 78,200 Germans visited the country in 2017 – a plus of 16% compared to the year before. Serbia has benefitted by offering visa-free travel to citizens from all European countries and the US, but also from China, Russia, India – new emerging markets. “Our continued tourism growth can be attributed to greater awareness of what Serbia has to offer tourists year-round,” said Ms. Marija Labovic, CEO, National Tourism Organisation of Serbia. “We offer a range of quality tourism products such as city breaks, cultural Novi Sad, Serbia tours, winter sports, activity holidays, river cruising, health tourism and major internationally acclaimed festivals. TOURISM OFFERS & NOVI SAD: CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2021 In 2021, Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city and only one hour from Belgrade, will be the European Capital of Culture; the first time the accolade has been awarded to a country outside the EU. This will act as a major platform for attracting more tourists to the country. Novi Sad is also European Capital of Youth 2019 Hall 1.1 / Stand 203 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 27 th February 2019
