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 Srečko stickers on their Instagram 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 and active 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.
TZ Portorož
