Portorož Tourist
Board launched its first destination oriented non-fungible token (NFT). The
promotional campaign is active in seven markets. They aim to attract the
attention of foreign markets with an online campaign, inviting visitors outside
the season.
Slovenia became the very first country to launch its
own non-fungible token in autumn of last year. The Slovenian Tourist Board
(STO) followed suit this April, with its I feel sLOVEnia NFT. Portorož
& Piran became the first local Slovenian tourist destination to have also
launched its non-fungible token.
The Portorož
Tourist Board has always followed trends when it came to promoting its
destination. They were the first in Slovenia to introduce the concept of
storytelling in tourism ten years ago. They were also the first to introduce
the destination’s smart chat bot and operate one of Slovenian tourism most
viewed online portals, which was recognised with a WEBSI award. Now they intend
to use the NFT technology in their tourism marketing to establish themselves as
an innovating, digital and sustainable destination.
NFT stands for »non-fungible token« and represents a unique digital
print. It is a collectable digital item, which can be used to trade in
blockchain technologies. It is often referred to as the key to the metaverse.
In practice, a tourism NFT can represent loyalty, can be a digital footprint
proving a visit to a destination, or can be simply viewed as a work of art.
The director of the Portorož Tourist
Board, Aleksander Valentin: »This year's element of innovation
is represented by new technologies, along with the traditional and somewhat playful
promotional campaign. The doors to the metaverse are opening, ushering along a
new market for the upcoming generations. «
The Portorož Tourist Board launched its
first Portorož & Piran destination NFT tokens in collaboration with April 8
digital agency. The tokens represent this year's promotional campaign's digital
side of communication. The chosen graphic representation of the campaign is Srečka,
a cute Istrian goat, which the users will fall in love with. The G.O.A.T.
acronym stands for Greatest of All Time in Internet slang, although the
goat is also an animal representing a stress-free life as the result of a pleasant
visit to the destination. The new destination themed NFTs are obtained through
the principles of loyalty. A user can obtain up to three NFTs from three
different collections if they perform a given task. The first task is to
participate in the prize game, the second is to subscribe to the
destination's e-news and the third is to share the Srečka stickers on
their Instagram Story and adding the
destination profile @portorozpiran to it. Everyone who completes all three
tasks, and collects three NFT tokens, will also receive a special Golden GOAT
NFT containing a prize. The prize will only be revealed at the reveal celebration
on the 31st of August. There are 100 NFT tokens available within each of the
three collections. There are therefore 400 unique NFTs available in total.
STO presented its first non-fungible token in April at the BIT stock
exchange in Milan. »We would like to position ourselves as a smart destination,
along with being known as a green, active and healthy Slovenia. « said Karmen
Novarlič, Head of the
STO Business Communication Department.
Marketing
campaign in seven markets
The Mi smo tu (We Are Here) marketing
campaign began on April 20 within seven
markets: Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and
Slovakia. This way The Portorož
Tourist Board are trying to reduce the potential dependence
on solely one market. The key promotional channel is a cute video, broadcasted online, with additional advertising
focusing on key experiences at the destination. Mimicking the Slovenian Tourist
Board, they have also focused on promoting outdoor activities. They also
emphasise wellbeing and personal care, which is especially relevant in the
post-pandemic period. There are nine tourism service providers from the
destination involved in the campaign: LifeClass Hotels & Spa, Bernardin Hotels, Portorož Airport, Locap Group, Restaurant COB and Hotel Tomi, Marina Portorož, All Year e-biking, Gold Istria Residence, and Restaurant Na burji. Other
tourism experience providers are also expected to join the ongoing campaign. Aleksander
Valentin commented: »We are very happy and grateful to be supported by so many
local service providers. We would also like to give thanks to the Elan company,
who have let us borrow their new sailboat model, the Elan E6, for making the video.
« The Destinacija priporoča (Destination Recommends) seal will also be given this year to all service
providers of local products, authentic experiences and accommodation who meet
the criteria for providing a perfect retreat. The promotional campaign will be
run outside the main summer season as they wish to ensure the destination’s
attractiveness all year long. It will end in spring, at the end of May, and
resume in September. The Destination Portorož & Piran is now also present
on TikTok. The
first posts are created in collaboration with the agency April 8 who offer
communication support for the promotional campaign. Influencer Noemi Zonta will take over the profile from June 5. She has recently excelled as the face
of Slovenia on a Lonely Planet travel guide.