Whether it’s a group of influencers exploring a thousand-year-old mountaintop mosque in Tunisia or hiking through the Atacama Desert in Chile, the winners of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s annual video competition show off each country’s landscapes and how seeing them with friends makes all the difference.
The UN agency announced the winners earlier this month during its General Assembly in Chengdu, China. UNWTO member states’ national tourism boards could submit videos from national tourism marketing campaigns covering 2011 to the present, although all winning videos were published within the past year.
The UNWTO picked five winners from Africa, East Asia/Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, culled from 63 videos submitted and herewith are the people's choice award winners:
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD AND EAST ASIA/PACIFIC WINNER:
INDONESIA – ‘THE JOURNEY TO A WONDERFUL WORLD’
Louis Armstrong’s voice and classic song, “What a Wonderful World,” is a familiar melody that brings about feelings of comfort, nostalgia and peace.
Making Indonesia seem more familiar and comfortable is what this video, published in November 2016, aims to accomplish. It definitely romanticizes dance and relaxation as signatures of the country; the video shows travelers that they can truly get away from it all, and can also visit bustling metropolises if they wish.
AFRICA WINNER:
TUNISIA: ‘#TRUETUNISIA’
Ancient and modern Tunisia are on display in this video. Published in June 2016, It features five European YouTubers who descend on the country to learn about its ancient history and culture, including 11th-century mosques and and souks as the country once served as major Mediterranean trading post. The influencers indulge in award-winning spas and beachfront dining.
AMERICAS WINNER:
CHILE – ‘FIND YOUR CHILE – CHILE IS WAITING FOR YOU’
Chile’s won for its “most likely to make us want to go there” appeal. The landscapes are the real protagonists in this storyline. And rather than using Chilean people to tell you about why they love their corners of the country, the tourism board uses travelers from around the world to give their perspectives on why Chile’s natural beauty is a magnet that keeps pulling them back in. The tourism board published the video in November 2016.
EUROPE WINNER:
GREECE – ‘GREECE – A 365-DAY DESTINATION’
More destinations want to market themselves as year-round destinations to spread out tourism visitation and dollars. Countries like Greece are buzzing in the warm weather but quiet in the winter; you get a sense that Greece is lively no matter what time you visit if you know where to find the action.
But perhaps the real stars of the video, published in August 2017, aren’t the seasons but instead is the diversity of Greek experiences. Many travelers exclusively think of Greece’s islands but this video spotlights other parts of the country that aren’t as well-known.
MIDDLE EAST WINNER:
EGYPT – ‘THIS IS EGYPT’
Egypt’s tourism industry has suffered one setback after another over the past decade and its video avoids any talk of revolution, violence and terrorism.
The video, published in October 2016, perhaps wins for “best comeback story.” It has a cohesive storyline of how the country has “a long story” that spans thousands of years.
Source: https://skift.com/2017/10/02/best-tourism-videos-of-2017-highlight-the-art-of-storytelling/
