Tourism marketing is a fun and creative field to work in. You’re often promoting beautiful destinations, showcasing unique experiences, and offering unforgettable adventures.
The challenge? Standing out. With so many amazing places for potential travelers to visit around the world, it can be tough to get noticed.
To help spark inspiration for your next campaign, I’ve searched far and wide for standout examples of advertising and marketing campaigns from tourism boards and travel companies worldwide.
So without further ado, here are seven of the best tourism campaigns of 2024 that cut through the noise and leave a lasting impression.
1. Tourism New Zealand’s “100% Pure New Zealand” campaign
Tourism New Zealand’s 100% Pure New Zealand campaign is one of the longest-running and most successful tourism campaigns I’ve come across. It was originally launched in 1999, meaning it’s been going strong for a whopping 25 years!
To celebrate its Silver Jubilee, Tourism New Zealand refreshed the campaign to promote the country’s breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and unique experiences. This time with a new focus on New Zealand as a year-round destination.
The 2024 “If You Seek” campaign inspires travelers to choose New Zealand as a tourism destination no matter the time of year by focusing on tourism experiences best suited to off-peak seasons.
It does this through a series of travel content marketing and social media marketing strategies, with striking visuals and stories shared across various platforms to get New Zealand in front of as many potential travelers as possible.
It also harnesses the power of user-generated content (UGC) via the hashtag #IfYouSeekNZ. UGC helps to increase the campaign’s organic reach, build trust in what the tourist board is promoting, and give authenticity to the campaign.
The cross-channel approach helps the campaign reach a global audience, inspiring people worldwide to visit this year-round destination.
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2. Tourism Ireland’s 2024 “Wild Atlantic Way” campaign
This tourism campaign from Tourism Ireland was launched to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Way. It includes a social media takeover, the creation of targeted video and digital campaigns, and a global PR push to inspire holidaymakers to visit the iconic route.
The videos in particular, like the one I’ve included here, give travelers a glimpse into the magic of Ireland.There’s beautiful footage, uplifting Irish music, and an inspirational voiceover aiming to drive bookings to the Emerald Isle. And the Wild Atlantic Way in particular.
UGC is another key feature of the marketing campaign, with Tourism Ireland encouraging past visitors to share their memories on social media with the hashtags #FillYourHeartWithIreland and #LoveIreland.
3. ScotRail’s latest tourism ad campaign
This example of tourism advertising from ScotRail targets a wide range of audiences in one unified ad campaign.
The campaign showcases an array of destinations and experiences, from rugged outdoor adventures and wild beaches to pretty seaside towns, historic cities, and cultural landmarks. This sends an important message that there’s something for everyone in Bonnie Scotland.
The clever tagline, “Your ticket goes further than you think”, has a double meaning. It encourages domestic travel by emphasizing the accessibility of all these destinations via the ScotRail network. And it also frames train journeys as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to explore this diverse and spectacular country.
Discover more of the best slogans from the travel and tourism industry.
4. Vienna Tourist Board’s “Microdose Vienna” campaign
Now for something slightly different … Here we’re veering away from traditional marketing techniques and towards something altogether more experiential.
This unique tourism campaign from the Vienna Tourist Board plays on the popular and topical concept of micro-dosing, condensing six unique Viennese experiences into limited-edition pill sets.
Each pill represents a key area of Vienna’s heritage, crafted with ingredients including dust particles from one of Gustav Klimt’s masterpieces, sound waves from the Wiener Symphoniker, and microscopic steel particles from the Giant Ferris Wheel.
These symbolic capsules were sent to media outlets and influencers, offering them a “trip” to Vienna’s rich cultural legacy without leaving home. Whatever you make of this campaign, it’s certainly memorable!
5. Expedia’s “Northern Lights” campaign
If there’s one bucket list destination that consistently tops the charts, it’s the Northern Lights. Expedia’s Northern Lights marketing campaign uses emotive storytelling to tug at heartstrings and to show that this iconic destination is just a click away.
The ad centers around a heartfelt, multi-generational story, following a grandmother, mother, and daughter on a long-awaited trip to see the Northern Lights. The narrative taps into the theme of fulfilling lifelong dreams – something that resonates with a wide and diverse audience – and highlights how Expedia can quickly turn dream vacations into reality
The ad, which features a voiceover by Ewan McGregor, first aired during the Super Bowl pre-game, getting it in front of millions of viewers. The marketing campaign also includes complementary features such as travel guides, a shoppable landing page, and out-of-home activations.
Discover more of the best Super Bowl commercials of all time.
6. The “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time” campaign
This comprehensive tourism ad campaign from Travel South Dakota uses just about every marketing trick in the book to get its content in front of the widest possible audience.
Through a combination of traditional, digital, and out-of-home elements, the “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time” campaign gives the nation a sense of just how much there is to explore in the midwestern US state.
The campaign kicked off with video placements during the 2024 Super Bowl, followed by social media, email marketing, and paid search efforts to support the campaign messaging across multiple channels. Add to the mix out-of-home billboards, print ads, and podcast partnerships, and you’ve got yourself a campaign that ticks all the boxes.
The target audience of this campaign spans families, older couples, and thrill-seekers. And by showcasing South Dakota’s diversity and delivering tailored messages across the right channels, Travel South Dakota has been able to reach and resonate with each of these groups. Jackpot!
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7. Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board’s “Now Playing” campaign
The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board’s “Now Playing” campaign is designed to inspire people from around the world to visit the city by showcasing LA’s diverse attractions, unique experiences, and rich cultural offerings.
Like many of the other marketing campaigns in this list, this campaign took a multi-channel approach to boost global awareness of the city’s offerings. And a key feature of this campaign was the creation of a dedicated microsite, which serves as an engaging hub for potential visitors.
This microsite offers a range of useful content, including detailed travel itineraries, “best-of” listicles, event listings, and hotel deals. Its sleek, magazine-like design makes it feel more like a lifestyle publication than a standard tourism site.
This enhances the user experience, boosts engagement, and encourages site visitors to stick around and discover more.
This campaign has been going strong since 2022, but a new wave of investment in 2024 has taken the campaign to a whole new level. Fresh ads are now featured across TV and digital platforms, along with large-format out-of-home placements in high-visibility locations like Sydney, Melbourne, London, and New York.
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Five key takeaways from these tourism campaigns
I’m sure these examples have already got the wheels turning, but to help streamline your planning, here are some key takeaways that you can use to inform your next tourism campaign:
- Take a cross-channel approach to make sure your tourism campaign reaches the widest possible audience
- Tap into user-generated content to boost organic reach and give potential travelers an authentic sense of what they can experience
- Refresh your marketing campaigns periodically to maintain momentum and to extend their lifespan
- Showcase off-peak travel opportunities to encourage visitors during quieter seasons
- Incorporate unique, experiential marketing ideas to capture attention and stand out from the crowd
Final thoughts
There you have it – seven standout examples of tourism advertising and marketing campaigns from tourism boards and travel companies around the world.Plus, key takeaways to help shape your next campaign.
For more inspiration for your next tourism campaign, check out our pick of the best travel ads or explore the latest travel marketing trends taking off this year.
