2021 turned out to be another challenging year but thanks to our clients and network of content creators, we were able to make the best of it, resulting in numerous successes. 2021 was also the year we celebrated our tenth anniversary, an achievement we’re pretty proud about.
We wish you a wonderful HOLIDAY SEASON and we hope that 2022 will bring all of us many joyous moments, good health, promising opportunities and success!
Here are some of our highlights from 2021:
#inEmiliaRomagna e-magazine
During the year, when travel was not always possible, we sought new ways to create campaigns which contribute to keeping a destination on travellers’ minds, and assist with tourism recovery efforts when travel is safe again. One of our focus areas was content creation, in this case, leveraging existing content in different ways. Together with Emilia-Romagna Tourism, we launched the Unforgettable Experiences #InEmiliaRomagna eMagazine! The eMagazine is a collection of unique Emilia-Romagna experiences as described by travel content creators who have visited the region.
#SpainOnMyMind
Another content campaign we created was #SpainOnMyMind, a collaboration with the Spanish Tourism Office. For this campaign, we recruited a team of content creators to publish their ideal Spain travel itinerary once travel was allowed again. The content created encompassed a myriad of themes and regions in Spain, such as road trips in Lanzarote, Andalusia and northern Spain, as well as Spain food guides, Spain hikes and cycling routes.
#DreaminGraz
We also launched a social media campaign to maintain awareness of Graz, Austria, as an attractive destination for food and culture lovers. The #DreaminGraz campaign comprised a selection of content creators from various target markets and niches who posted about their favourite things and places in Graz on blogs and social media. During the campaign’s three-month duration, blog and social media engagement data was analysed to identify trends and consumer patterns.
A fresh look
In June, we launched our new website, a project that kept us busy during the lockdown earlier in the year.
#EnjoyHiddenGermany
As countries opened to travellers, we received the green light to proceed with the fourth edition of #EnjoyHiddenGermany, a partnership with the German National Tourist Board and Deutsche Bahn. For this edition, we sent six content creators and two videographers on two train trips across southern Germany. The objective was to highlight off-the-beaten-path attractions in this part of Germany as well as demonstrate the ease of visiting these places by train.
Globus and Avalon Waterways
One of our biggest endeavours of 2021 was the twin campaigns featuring Globus Choice Touring’s northern California itinerary and Avalon Waterways Rhône river cruise, which ran more or less simultaneously. Our partnership with Globus and its family of brands extends over several years, and we were thrilled to work with them again this year!
Blogville Emilia-Romagna
The ninth edition of Blogville Emilia-Romagna was somewhat different than in previous years. Keeping health risks in mind, we chose to organise various blog trips in duos instead of opening a blogger house. The focus this year was on outdoor/active and culture/history. We sent content creators on various, multi-day hiking trips to showcase the historic trails in Emilia-Romagna. Another small team was sent on a road trip to cover the eleven Art Cities of Emilia-Romagna as well as little known medieval villages and towns.
Ciclovia del Sole
As part of our efforts to promote active and sustainable travel, we teamed up with Bologna Welcome to cover the Ciclovia del Sole or the ‘Sun Route’. This project consisted of two parts: coverage of the route by content creators, and workshops with local partners whereby the creators shared their travel experiences and feedback to improve the services offered along the route.
Recognition by the European Commission of Best Practice
In early-2021, we completed our participation in TraCEs Cultour is Capital, a two-year project of the European Union to showcase transformative travel experiences in former European Capitals of Culture in seven countries. Funded by the European Commission, under the COSME (Competitiveness of Enterprises and SME) programme, TraCEs laid the foundations of a cultural and sustainable tourism model in European Capitals of Culture, that showcases their heritage, creative and cultural industries and lifestyles. Earlier this year, we were thrilled to learn that our partnership with TraCEs was selected by Interreg Europe as good practice to inspire policymakers in Europe.
In early-December, we received news that the project gained another important recognition: the European Commission selected TraCEs, Cultour is Capital, as one of 20 best practices in the use of European Union funding for culture and creativity projects. We couldn’t be more proud of this recognition!
Our tenth birthday!
In December, iambassador turned ten. We’re proud to have reached this milestone! We took a moment to look back at our achievements over the years as well as thank all our friends, clients and creators for helping to make it all possible.
We look forward to new opportunities and collaborations in the new year. Should you wish to discuss any ideas with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
