CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TARGET TOURISM

THE Chamber of Commerce for Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera has thrown open a publicity campaign in the streets of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne, the largest cities in Germany, with the intention of encouraging German family tourism in the Balearics. According to information received yesterday from those responsible for this project in the Chamber of Commerce (which has invested 188'000 euros on this advertising promotion), the publicity began circulating two days ago and, in some places will be an ongoing operation until the 5th July. The aim is to get the message across to some 44 million potential tourists. The Presisdent of the Chamber of Commerce, Miquel Lladó, explained that the principal purpose of this initiative is to “try and boost sales” during a tourist season that, especially in relation to Germany “hasn´t gone as well as we would have liked”. The President of the Commission for Tourism within the Chamber of Commerce, Ferran Port, pointed out that apart from only being able to carry out business on a medium term basis, the tourist industry has to wait to see how the client market develops. It was this scenario that gave impetus to the advertising campaign, to address “the problems in the German market”, especially with regard to family tourism. “It's important to recognise that tourism is the backbone of the economy of these Islands”, stressed Porto who had faith in the fact that the investment made at “great expense” by the Chamber of Commerce “would help to improve the situation”. The advertising campaign was undertaken by Agency-Q, whose managing director Susan Long explained that they chose the slogan “At last .... holidays to suit” in order to highlight the concept of Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera being “destinations for people with different tastes”, and particularly suitable for families. The slogan is accompanied by the image of a family enjoying a beach holiday, as well as other smaller photos along the same lines.

With this idea in mind, a giant advertising poster has been produced (144 square metres). It was put up two days ago and will stay in place until 5th July on a centrally-located hoarding in Berlin. Similarly, from 10 to 21 June in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne, signs of 3.5 by 2.5 metres will be put up on 575 billboards (some of them luminous). During the same period, an advert will be flashed out across 73 large public television screens (known as infoscreens), installed in the underground stations of these cities. This “advertising spot” lasting 10 seconds, will be transmitted 10 times a day from each of the big screens, amounting to an emission of 73'000 advertising “flashes”. Finally, 43 coaches from the large German cities carrying the campaign in action to targetted areas, have already displayed a publicity image designed by Agency-Q and will continue to do so until 5 July. Lladó stipulated that this campaign “is complementary” to the advertising undertaken in written form by the Germans, Ibatur, Turespaña and by the Chamber of Commerce itself. Eight million euros were donated to the cost of publicity which was halted during the war with Iraq.