Viral newlyweds from Philadelphia are arriving in Croatia for a trip organised by the CNTB
Ashton and Zach Smith, the American newlyweds whose wedding during the World Cup unexpectedly became part of the Croatian fans' celebrations in Philadelphia, are coming to Croatia in early October. The trip is being organised by the Croatian National Tourist Board along with several domestic partners, giving the viral moment from the US a tourism sequel.
Their encounter with Croatian fans took place on 26 June, immediately after their wedding at Philadelphia City Hall. Outside the building, they came across a procession of Croatian fans gathered ahead of the match between Croatia and Ghana, and spontaneously joined in the celebrations. Photographs and videos soon spread across social media and attracted international attention.
From Split and Poljud to Dubrovnik
Ashton and Zach Smith's journey begins on 4th October in Split. Aside from touring the city and surrounding destinations, one of the central moments of their stay will be the Croatia versus Spain Nations League match at Poljud.
The programme also includes a boat tour of the islands and locations in the Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin Counties, in cooperation with the „Mi Hrvati“ Croatian Fans Embassy.
After Dalmatia, the newlyweds are travelling towards Dubrovnik, where they will experience the tourist, gastronomic and cultural offerings of the south of Croatia. The journey finishes on 12th October in Zagreb, from where they will return to Philadelphia.
Viral story turned into destination promotion
At the Croatian National Tourist Board, the case of the young American couple was recognised as an opportunity for a spontaneous moment with Croatian fans to blossom into a concrete promotion of the destination.
HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić stated that the wish is to show the newly-weds Croatian cities, islands, coast, gastronomy and culture, but also to bring back the atmosphere of hospitality they already experienced in Philadelphia.
The tourist boards of Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties and the City of Zagreb are also participating in the organisation.
Ashton and Zach stated that they were particularly looking forward to coming to Croatia and that their spontaneous meeting with Croatian fans had already left a strong impression on them.
For destination marketing, stories like this have added value precisely because they did not originate as a classic promotional campaign. The viral moment from Philadelphia is now turning into an on-destination experience, and the content created during the trip to Croatia could bring additional visibility in the American market.
