Two sides of the celebrity travel ambassador trend

Recently, British singer Mel B has been appointed as a tourism ambassador for the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. The father of the former Spice Girl member was born on a small Caribbean island. The singer, actress and TV personality, whose full name is Melanie Brown, plans to use her new role to “put Nevis on the world travel map”.

Using a well-known name to showcase travel-related services, products and destinations is not new.

Jackie Chan appeared in the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s “Live It, Love It” campaign in the 2000s, American football player OJ Simpson appeared in TV commercials for renting a car from Hertz. in the 1970s and beginning in 1984, a series of Australian Tourism Commission shows advertised starring Crocodile Dundee’s Paul Hogan.

As the world escapes from the clutches of the Covid-19 epidemic, we can expect a return to tourism as tourism offices scramble to register stars for their promotional campaigns. surname. Research confirms this visitor approach pays off.

A study by Harvard Business School has shown that celebrity names have a significant impact on people’s holiday decisions. On average, sales increased by 4% compared to competitors that did not use it.

An agent’s partnership often lasts for years, though that doesn’t mean the chosen celebrity has to have wide appeal. They just need to be seen as trustworthy and not take actions that cause negative public reaction.

Chris Hemsworth moved his family from Los Angeles back to Australia in 2014, making him the ideal spokesperson for the “There’s Nothing Like Australia” campaign in 2016. Two years later, the star of the show. Avengers appeared in an advertisement by Tourism Australia paying tribute to the aforementioned Crocodile Dundee character.

Another Hollywood action actor hired to raise the profile of the tourist hotspot is Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2014, the former Austrian bodybuilder was awarded the role of an honorary tourism ambassador for Madrid, Spain. Arnold fell in love with this city while filming Conan the Barbarian in 1981.

Speaking of the capital of Spain, Europe’s most successful football club, Real Madrid, signed a three-year deal to promote their home city in 2011. Star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Sergio Ramos served as brand ambassadors while advertising in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium displaying the slogan “Visit Spain, Visit Madrid”.

The connections of football with tourism can also be seen in the English Premier League. Arsenal have a lucrative sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda and Leicester City have paired up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Last season, the match day jersey featured the tagline “Thailand laughs with you”.

But you don’t have to be a footballer to highlight your hometown’s culture, beauty, history and hospitality. Boxer and senator Manny Pacquiao has done his best to raise the profile of the Philippines, and veteran Australian golfer Greg Norman showcased the golf course’s sustainability as tourism ambassador to Vietnam.

Tennis great Roger Federer also has an unblemished reputation and has been chosen as a brand ambassador for his native Switzerland. The tennis player promotes the pristine wonderland with travel tips, social media posts and video clips, including a humorous short with actor Robert De Niro.

Not all travel ambassadors have a “clean” private life. In 2019, Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho had his passport confiscated for not paying taxes shortly after being appointed tourism ambassador for the country where he was born. Then, during a visit to neighboring Paraguay, the World Cup winner was detained for five months after entering the country with a forged passport. He was released after agreeing to pay a $90,000 fine.

Some ambassadors do not receive the approval of the local people. The appointment of British supermodel Naomi Campbell as Kenya’s main promoter was not welcomed by all in the country. Many people in the East African country think that this position should have belonged to someone born in this country.

Taylor Swift has suffered a similar backlash after taking on the role of New York’s global welcome ambassador for 2014-15. Some commentators point out that the Pennsylvania native has only lived in the city for a few months. Others described the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter as too boring to represent the city.

Chinese pianist Lang Lang was named New York’s first cultural tourism ambassador in 2016. The appointment was made with the aim of encouraging more of his compatriots to visit the city.

Last year, K-pop superstars BTS marked 5 years as an honorary tourism ambassador for Seoul even though none of the 7 members are actually from the South Korean capital.

A big name born in Seou, specifically Gangnam district is Psy. Despite being overlooked for his Seoul gig, the singer-songwriter became South Korea’s tourism ambassador in 2013 and has promoted his country in a series of television commercials. He took over the role from saxophonist Kenny G, who was born in Seattle, USA.