Iceland gets the word out – We’re Still Open for Business

The travel and tourism industry has been in crisis response mode for the past several months. Budget cuts have hammered most states, resulting in significant impacts to tourism development and promotion. Airfares have risen and the number of flights have decreased. Job losses mean cancelled vacations and fewer day trips.

In April, when Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull Glacier erupted, the country was still recovering from an economic collapse  and now they were  back in the headlines for another disaster. Dramatic photos and video of the volcano gave the impression that the entire country was enveloped in smoke and ash. The reality?  They were still very much open for business and the actual impact on the country was small, but who would believe them?

A creative, one-day challenge was proposed. Since word of mouth is an incredibly effective marketing tool, what if everyone in the country logged on and promoted the heck out of their country using any and all online and social media tools available?

Did it work? Judge for yourself – see the results at Inspired by Iceland.

~Vicky Soderberg