Turismo do Alentejo has partnered with Louis Karno & Company Communications of Concord, NH, to launch an international campaign to position the Alentejo as a premier destination once the travel world resets itself. The effort represents a new multinational approach to marketing. The Alentejo, which makes up almost 30% of Portugal, is a destination that has the potential to be exactly what people will be looking for in the future, according to the agency. About the size of Belgium, the Alentejo has a population of just 500,000 with cork forests, wine country, olive groves, and a long sandy Atlantic coast.
“The challenge is to take a terrific destination and connect it with a present and future audience. Certainly, the world has changed, and so must marketing,” said agency head, Jayme H. Simões. “We are taking a new approach, hiring travel writers directly, building brand through outreach, and using SEO to access market that may not have been aware of our product.”
The project is based on building a stronger brand for the Alentejo, and helping it sync with the new travel realities and sensibilities. As part of the contract, the agency set up a partnership with ACTA, the Association of Canadian Travel Agents to deliver two online workshops to travel professionals from all over Canada. Almost 200 professionals signed up for the workshops, held in French and English. The workshops will help members of ACTA learn what the Alentejo is, and why it is a good winter escape for Canadians. At present, Canadians can travel to Portugal, and TAP Portugal has increased its weekly flights out of Toronto and Montreal.
A new blog at https://www.visitalentejo.pt/en/blog/ features travel pieces written by professional travel writers — aimed at building brand recognition. The articles focus on specific markets and aspects of the brand, all professionally written and optimized for SEO. The blog also focuses on products, such as wine and cork, as well as relocation and real estate, to bridge the travel gap. The use of products helps keep the interest in the region alive while travel is not possible, and relocation information accesses those who are thinking of retiring, or just moving to Europe.
