Marketing a Country: Tourism as an ideal

Marketing a country or city is an interesting side of travel and tourism, while every place on earth has both good and bad elements, it is how these elements are presented that make all the difference. When looking for a place to go, what do we look at? The views? The shopping? The level of accommodation? All these factors play into our choices and impact our desires, leading us to a place we in fact know little about in the broader, socio-economic sense. Because of this way of thinking and process of marketing a nation rather than a brand, we have chosen to look at a few top tourist destinations to demonstrate how they are framed to tourists.

London, UK

An area known for dismal weather and fairly bland food as far as local flavours go, London is one of the top destinations in the world for travelers. So how did this happen? Seen as one of the fashion and corporate capitals of the world, this bustling city plays on the “stories of old” motif a lot. Showing off rolling green pastures, ancient architecture and a rich history, this imagery gives off an idea that many say is not the first impression of London.

Istanbul, Turkey

When you think of Turkey, especially Istanbul, what do you think of? Picturesque mosques at sunset? The glistening strait? Maybe sight of Africa on the horizon? All of these are framed ideas showing the most idyllic parts of the city and country. Focusing on the history of the region, tourism is largely based on how this history is shown. With tourists going there expecting a unique, eastern experience, there are very few western or modern elements of the country shown.

Paris, France

A country know for love and passion, romance and the definition art-lovers experience, not to mention the destination for wine connoisseurs, France, and Paris in particular are not entirely what they seem. While the tourist will be shown the sights, places to go and the most picturesque elements of the country, the rolling green hills do not show the dirty side of the city or the cultural roadblocks that most people face when visiting. Whether it be the cleanliness of the streets or the day to day routines of locals, many find the local life itself hard to gel with.

Cape Town, South Africa

Known for fabled mountain ranges, endless, surreal coastline and some of the most beautiful safari experiences in the world, South Africa has endless wonders to offer a tourist. Cape Town in particular is most commonly shown as a coastal, tropical wonderland with a world renowned wine land and a cultural experience like no other. There are many hidden elements though that are left out of the frame.

While of course it seems obvious to anyone to rather show the best parts of a country to tourists, it is this commonly known fact that is often over looked. Many do not hear the other side of things and are sold on an idea that is in fact an ideal. This shows how deeply marketing is ingrained in our culture, with our population practicing selective perception without even realising.

As a digital marketing agency we find that perception is everything in this modern world. Whether person to person, business to client or country to tourist, managing your offline and online reputation is key to showing off the best elements.