ETC Forum in Boka: Destination marketing as we know it is officially a thing of the past
With digitalisation and the growing influence of user-generated content changing how tourists choose destinations, traditional marketing is no longer enough. European tourism leaders gathered in Kotor to redefine branding strategies in the era of artificial intelligence and new technologies.
The European Travel Commission's (ETC) annual forum, held yesterday in Montenegro, focused on the key dilemma of modern tourism: how to maintain authenticity amidst a sea of digital information and attract travellers seeking an emotional connection with a destination, rather than just a passive holiday. Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), tour operators and travel tech companies, The conclusions from this conference provide important guidelines for future market positioning.
The challenge of fragmented messages and the influence of algorithms
Image management of tourist regions has become exceptionally complex due to the fragmentation of communication channels. The perception of a country or city today is no longer created exclusively by official campaigns, but is shaped daily by travellers themselves through reviews, social media, and algorithms.
The second major operational challenge for the industry is the consolidation of numerous local providers, smaller brands, and specific regional stories into a single, coherent, and recognisable message. Successful branding no longer relies on merely listing attractions, but on creating a narrative that addresses the problem of saturation with similar tourist products.
Emotion instead of catalogue: A new approach to tourism marketing
In a time when Technology and artificial intelligence Optimising the search for travel experiences, evoking emotions plays a crucial role. Modern tourists are increasingly seeking an escape from everyday life and a return to nature, which also requires a change in visual communication.
The Montenegrin campaign “Uncover Your Wild Side” was highlighted as an example of such a strategy. Instead of a classic promotional video, a spot in the form of a film trailer was created, targeting the sense of adventure. This approach, which brought nine international awards, shows that the tourism industry must think outside the box to stand out in the digital space.
Tourism as a strategic pillar of the European economy
Documentarian and travel writer Simon Reeve reminded panellists at the forum that tourism generates around ten percent of the European economy, making it one of the key drivers of stability and development on the continent. In this context, destination branding is not just a marketing tool, but a strategic issue of economic sustainability.
The conference, which brought together experts from global technology and consulting firms such as Resonance, Sojern, and Black Diamond, as well as leaders from the national tourism organisations of Austria, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, confirmed that the future lies in the synergy of technological solutions and an authentic, humanised approach to the traveller. European destinations must work together on global visibility, using advanced data analytics to understand traveller habits, while retaining the unique local character that technology cannot replicate.
Source: Bokanews
