The Covid 19 pandemic has further raised travelers' awareness of sustainability around the world. The interest in intact nature, careful use of resources and mindfulness for one's own well-being are gaining in importance.
The German National Tourist Board (DZT) is responding to this development in customer needs and is expanding the radius of its 'Feel Good' campaign in 2021. With immediate effect, it is advertising a comprehensive range of sustainable holidays in Germany as a travel destination in 14 markets.
Travelers Want Sustainability
“The current Sustainability Report by booking.com shows that the change in values - towards more mindfulness, sustainability and social responsibility among travelers - has received a significant boost during the Covid 19 pandemic,” Petra Hedorfer, the CEO of the DZT, noted.
“83 % of respondents from 30 countries consider sustainable travel to be essential. 61 % said that the pandemic has made them dedicated to travel more sustainably in the future. These customers need confirmations of our long-term strategy of positioning sustainability in the German travel environment,” she added.
“With 'Feel Good' we are communicating sustainable quality products in international source markets in a targeted manner in order to give further impetus to the restart of incoming tourism,” Hedorfer concluded.
The ‘Feel Good’ Campaign
DZT’s campaign includes a quality selection of cities and regions as well as accommodations that are particularly committed to sustainability in tourism.
In addition, ‘Feel Good’ addresses specific travel experiences that make sustainable products and services tangible on site. In this way, travelers can experience sustainable commitment in direct contact with 'locals'.
Four clusters facilitate orientation in the offers: 'Active in nature', 'Knowledge and experience', 'Responsible enjoyment' and 'Sustainable city experiences'. Tips for sustainable holidays complement the range of information and with a multilingual CO2 calculator the customer can record the emissions of his/her trip and offset them through providers in the country.
The campaign is being implemented in neighboring countries – Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria and Poland, as well as important European source markets of Sweden, Italy, Spain and Great Britain and in the most important overseas markets – the USA, China and Japan.
Ads on international social media channels, including in the Facebook News Feed, Instagram Feed and Instagram Explore Feed, lead customers to a microsite that presents a selection of quality cities, regions and hotels.
The offers presented on the site were selected and edited by the DZT in cooperation with the regional tourism organizations and sustainability experts. In addition, a new campaign film was integrated. In interviews, it shows people who have implemented or are running exemplary sustainable projects.
“Service providers along the entire tourism value chain develop offers with great professionalism that meet the growing demands of customers in terms of environmental responsibility, sustainability and value,” Hedorfer added.
“Our campaign explains the added value for the guest: tested sustainable holidays stand for quality, comfort, enjoyment, authenticity and regionality and make a contribution to climate protection,” she concluded.