Destination Videos Matter: a Selection of Solimar’s Favorites

Videos are increasingly becoming important to travel marketing. Effective and catchy videos, especially those that go viral, can increase brand recognition.

An example is Turkish Airlines’ classic viral video, ‘The Selfie Shootout’ between Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi. Released in the first week of December last year, it is said to be the most viral travel campaign of 2013 after gaining over 127 million views after just two weeks.

Its astonishing success also claimed 28 per cent of all the views for branded videos in the month of December. Yup, a big deal. Check it out below:

So, How About Destination Videos?

Imagine if your own destination video received 100 million views in two weeks: That means millions of potential traveler eyeballs on your destination!

As a growing marketing channel, online videos are key to marketing destinations. This is because on the traveler’s side, online videos are essential in travel planning:

Videos not only inspire people to plan their next trip, but also prompt them to decide which destination to visit in the future.

A 2013 study by Google reveals that viewing an online video influences the choice of next travel destination of 63% of leisure travelers and 66% of business travelers. See the graphic below on how the travel funnel works, and the significant role videos play in the initial steps of the process.

As videos are the fastest growing marketing channel, “online videos are expected to account for up to 30% of marketers’ total digital budgets by the end of 2014,” according to another report by eMarketer.

Certainly humor, surprise, and celebrities get attention. However, there are many ways to approach a tourism destination video. They can be serene, energetic, broadly focused on a whole country or specific to one distinct cultural characteristic.

Thus, it’s important to produce and promote destination videos that will convey the atmosphere and sense of one’s place and transport the viewers to your destination. Moreover, destination marketers need to make sure that their video will stand out from the stream of videos that are released every day.

Need video inspiration? Here are some of the Solimar staff’s favorite tourism videos and why they work for us.

Greenland: Rough. Real. Remote.

Greenland – Rough. Real. Remote. from media.gl on Vimeo.

Natasha was part of a team that took an epic adventure trip around the Destination Arctic Circle in Greenland in August 2012, and firmly believes that Greenland feels like home to one with an adventurous spirit. There is no sentimentality in this video; it is Rough. Real. Remote.

Watchtower of Turkey

Watchtower of Turkey from Leonardo Dalessandri on Vimeo.

Leonardo Dalessandri tells the rich culture and history of Turkey through a film he made from his journey of over 3500 km in 20 days, “capturing landscapes from the bluish tones of Pamukkale to the warm ones of Cappadocia… and [met] the soul of Turkey, its people.”

Incredible India

It’s difficult to forget the phrase “Incredible India”, highlighting India’s diverse landscapes, cultures, and people, this video immerses you with India’s colorful and festive delights.

Shetland Ponies in Cardigans

Focusing on the unique and adorable practice of warming their ponies with sweaters, this video offers a quick and unforgettable glimpse of a special Scotland attraction.

There’s Nothing Like Australia

This video for Tourism Australia evokes “romantic” feelings by showing picturesque sceneries and relaxing activities while playing Dewayne Everettsmith’s “It’s Like Love” in the background.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Check out this video by filmmaker Philip Bloom, taken on vacation in Thailand. The images speak for themselves, showing the “haven” that is Koh Yao Noi island through nature and people interacting with the camera.

Pride of Namibia

Thanks to the integration of conservation into its constitution and to firm practices of responsible travel, Namibia’s wildlife has flourished. This video, which tells of Namibia’s commitment to protect its wildlife, recently won the Adventure in Motion 2014 competition of the Adventure Travel Trade Association.

Las Islas, Colombia

Made as part of Solimar’s Geotourism Project with National Geographic in the San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina archipelago, what makes this video special is that the locals tell the story of their islands. Local voices talk and sing what they love most about the region. Directed by Gregg Bleakney, the video combines stunning visuals, enchanting music, and overall a great authentic destination story. (To learn more about the Las Islas Geotourism Program, read this blog post.)

There are many approaches to a successful tourism destination video. Which ones (from our list or others) are your favorites?