Visit Panama uses immersive advertising to re-engage tourists

Like many DMOs, Visit Panama was struggling to attract tourists after the pandemic subsided — the country's usually robust tourism trade was eerily quiet.
 

The destination knew it had a lot to offer travelers, including unique cultural experiences and activities that would satisfy more adventurous tourists.
 

Panama’s storied culture and natural attractions are drawing cards for their larger target audience, while their inclusion and sustainable tourism practices would attract others. It was only a matter of coming up with engaging and immersive ways to get the word out.

The first campaign, Live for More, launched with the goal of broadening interest in Panama by highlighting the country’s unique history, culture, and natural attractions. A Travel Spotlight and co-branded listicle were used to showcase the interesting experiences the country had to offer, including the world’s first biodiversity museum, a tropical rainforest minutes from the capital of Panama City, whale watching and scuba diving, and the Panama Canal.
 

The second campaign, The Next Turn, promoted Panama as an inspirational destination to attract tourists who were interested in sustainable tourism practices. A video series of three episodes was created to showcase Panama’s epic experiences and its support for sustainability and inclusion initiatives. The series followed three visitors as they immersed themselves in the different experiences Panama has to offer: its culture and customs, historical sites and natural attractions, and the exotic surrounding islands. The videos demonstrated the beauty of Panama, so travelers could imagine their trip before booking. Through links to Panama’s featured experiences and accommodations, booking was made easy so visitors wouldn’t have to leave the page. 

The campaigns drove awareness and conversion among two distinct audiences.
 

The Live More campaign inspired a broader target audience by sharing Panama’s variety of unique experiences, rich history, and diverse culture to appeal to those looking to book their next vacation. This campaign resulted in a 79% increase in tickets booked year over year (YOY) and an increase of more than 80K room nights booked.*
 

The Next Turn website built by Media Studios successfully promoted Panama as an inspirational destination in a three-episode video series. The videos generated over 160K page views and 34K video plays, and attracted 133K active users.*
 

“The joint marketing campaign between Visit Panama and Expedia proved to be a key initiative in the post-COVID recovery phase,” said Lorena Correal W., the Strategic Alliances Manager for Visit Panama. “The campaign succeeded in driving a substantial surge in tourist arrivals from our target markets, as well as extended stays among visitors, owing to its strategic promotion of our country's natural attractions, cultural experiences, and adventure activities.”