One of the things I have learned writing online is that the title is everything. A sad – and rather dispiriting – truth I have learned blogging for the last decade is that less and less people read these days. It is often the case that an article has more Facebook likes than actual views, more comments based on the title in the social media share than the considered reflections of a commentator who has actually read the article.
Such is the world in which we live in 2021.
Over the last few years. I have noticed the Croatian National Tourist Board use this reality to great effect. In the absence of any obvious tangible strategy (at least to me), shouting from the rooftops in some inane list in international media has been a key part of the ‘promotion’ which supposedly justifies the investment that is 70-80 permanent jobs at head office and an annual budget in the region of 40 million euro.
Today provided the latest perfect example of this, as the national tourist board’s PR department purred at Croatia’s inclusion in yet another ‘meaningful’ list, this time USA Today’s article, Greece, Japan, More: 100 Places We Hope to Travel in 2021. No mention of Croatia in the title, which headlines with one of Croatia’s strongest competitors, but we will let that one slide for now.
“One of the most widely read American dailies USA Today published a list of the 100 most desirable travel destinations in 2021, and Croatia ranked 11th,” said the official press release. The title of the press release was even more appealing – USA TODAY RANKED CROATIA AMONG THE MOST DESIRABLE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN 2021.
Incredible stuff. Amazing work, Team National Tourist Board. Eleventh in the world is quite an achievement, accompanied by the detailed explanation of why Croatia was number 11:
11. Croatia: It’s been on my list for a while, and the wanderlust is real. Will be ticking off as many spots as possible in 2021. – Hines
Croatia: You’ve seen these spots on ‘Game of Thrones’; now see them for yourself
Incredible stuff, and if I didn’t live in Croatia already, I am sure I would be packing a suitcase.
I was curious to see which 10 destinations managed to beat Croatia in this exclusive list, and it was then that I realised that it would be tough for Croatia to break into the top 10, despite the incredible promotional efforts of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
4. As far as my saved-up Delta miles will take me
How could the beauty of Croatia possibly compete with that?
5. Anywhere my mom wants to go
Maybe Mom would like to go to Croatia.
9. A COVID-19-free cruise
A little bit like the two above, anywhere will do.
But this is a great promotion of Croatia, worthy of a press release, and shared among the Croatian media.
Unlike in Greece, which made this list not once, but twice.
Or France, which made the list four times, with Paris featured twice, including above Croatia – nestled between As far as my saved-up Delta miles will take me, Anywhere my mom wants to go, and a COVID-19-free cruise.
It should be acknowledged that Croatia did beat off some very serious competition to make it to number 11 in the latest pointless list the Internet. These include:
58. Any airport in the world: I look forward to arriving early for a flight, getting coffee and an I-only-eat-this-when-I-travel muffin and watching waves of travelers heading off to great adventures and into the arms of those they love. – Harriet Baskas, USA TODAY travel contributor (Twitter: @hbaskas, Instagram: @hbaskas, StuckatTheAirport.com)
and
100. Mars: Honestly, at this point, why not? After spending most of 2020 quarantined at home on Earth, I’m wanderlusting for anywhere in the galaxy. – Trepany
Even though Croatia is an elite destination, presumably its price competitiveness compared to a holiday on Mars helped edge it above Mars in the final rankings.
Style over substance – the classic strategy of the Kingdom of Accidental Tourism. It is in evidence wherever one looks.
Just before Christmas, for example, national tourist board director Kristjan Stanicic was quoted in the Croatian media, enthusiastically promoting a new tourism idea – something called digital nomad tourism. According to Stanicic:
We plan various activities to position our country as an attractive destination for digital nomads. The focus of marketing campaigns will be on the fact that Croatia can guarantee a safe and quality stay for digital nomads. We will emphasize the excellent transport connections and the geographical position of an EU country in which many speak English and which has an excellent infrastructure and quality of offer. In the promotion, we will focus on the fact that our life is accessible according to European standards, that we have good health care with well-known benefits such as a favorable climate, beautiful nature and rich cultural and historical heritage. At the beginning of 2021, an online campaign is planned in Great Britain, the USA and Australia, and we will soon start teaser activities, ie posts with initial information about the legislative changes on social networks Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – says the director of the Croatian Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic.
(Read more in After Digital Nomads, Will Croatian Tourism Chiefs Act on 4 More Gifts?)
As this was the first innovative idea I could recall in my time in Croatia from the national tourist board, I eagerly checked out their website for the latest information about digital nomad tourism:
Let’s hope that someone else publishes another meaningless clickbait list soon so that we can keep the promotion going and justify the efforts of those 70-80 dedicated souls and that enormous budget.
For more on travel in Croatia (with an absence of meaningless lists), check out the TCN Travel section.
