“The Recipe for a Great Vacation“, the 2010 promotional campaign of the Croatian National Tourist Board is “spiced up“ with the currently most popular Croatian bottom of the former beauty queen Ms. Jelena Glišić, has managed to provoke and pique the general public’s interest and curiosity. As much as a woman’s bottom may appear to some as a shocking detail within a promotional video, world tourism marketing notes far more unusual and interesting ideas: aliens plotting their vacation in an office, dancing eyeballs, forbidden slogans, however, the appearance of political and movie stars is also duly noted within various promotional campaigns.

India – See the Heart of India

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOy35Q7xuEE

As opposed to our humble Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, who participated in the tourism campaign with only an admonition how the use of a woman’s bottom in the video is bad form, the Governer of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with his wife Maria Shriver, actively participates in creating tourism movies and has earned 235.000 dollars in the past five years thanks to his little “acting“ gig, sipping California wine and skiing on California’s slopes. In addition to the Terminator, actors Rob Lowe, Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood have also endorsed California with their personality and prominence.

California – Find Yourself Here

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md69zCJKD1c

In contrast to California, New Mexico, a federal state in the US southwest, didn’t hire famous actors or bronzed models for its tourism campaign two years ago, yet instead put several aliens in the campaign; all of it under the slogan “The Best Place in the Universe. New Mexico, Earth.“ The campaign which bore the brunt of harsh criticism and ridicule of most tourism and marketing experts, cost the state 2.9 million dollars.

New Mexico – The Best Place in the Universe

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1eSbUOuTns&NR=1

However, the most controversy was stirred up by the 2006 Australian tourism campaign “So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?“, worth a 180 million australian dollars, and was even prohibited in Great Britain. Video viewers weren’t so shocked by the appearance of the model Lara Bingel in a bikini, yet by the text spoken at the end of the video, which was dubbed as profane. Although the media worldwide had written extensively on the unusual way of Australia’s advertising and tourism bid, that year the country registered a turn for the worse in regard to its tourist season: there were 5.7% less Japanese tourists, 4.7% less Germans, 2.3% less British tourists, while it is interesting to note that the number of Chinese tourists (the controversial video wasn’t aired in China at all) significantly increased.

Australia – Where the Bloody Hell Are You?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0lwGk4u9o

Probably one of the most successful and cheapest campaigns in history is last year’s marketing operation of Hamilton Island in Queensland, Australia: “Best Job in the World“. By way of an unconventional on-line campaign, interested candidates had the opportunity to apply for the best job in the world, an island researcher, that is, a blogger who would promote the exotic island during the course of six months through their texts and photos, for the amount of 150.000 australian dollars. Although minimal funds were spent, 1.7 million dollars, the video about the island was viewed by more than 7 million people in over 200 countries worldwide, and the island got an incredible amount of absolutely free media coverage in almost all media outlets worldwide.

Hamilton Island – Best Job in the World

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUUWOV4Vns

The City of Sin, a term of endearment for Las Vegas, which has been using the same slogan “What Happens Here Stays Here“ for almost seven years now, updates it every year with a new ingenious video.

Las Vegas – What Happens Here, Stays Here

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bukUZqqupU

Take a look at the wonders our neighbours have decided to represent themselves with:

Crna Gora – Wild Beauty

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig17x6O8TjM&feature=related

Slovenia – I feel sLOVEenia

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMjTiNCYH6A&feature=player_embedded

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Enjoy Life

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMjdOrhETLc&feature=player_embedded

Italy – Much more

Croatia – Recipe for a good holiday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9tg0zubQZI&feature=player_embedded