The model for the policy agenda in crisis should be a strategy of the Czech Republic Prague, which runs campaign called "in Praze as doma" ("At home in Prague").The campaign targets tourists from countries neighboring the Czech Republic.Each tourist who stays in one of the 353 hotels in Prague will receive points for his stay, which can be exchanged for museum tickets or exchanged for tour tickets.
The strategies of Polish territorial brands in the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic almost entirely rely on the ability to finance activities by the state budget or other public funds (including the travel voucher).In Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław (as well as in Kołobrzeg or Sopot) there is a lack of integrated urban activities aimed at building the image of a safe tourist brand and generating tourist traffic at the same time.
A model for Polish cities should be the campaign "In Prague as home" ("In Prague as at home"). The campaign is addressed to tourists from countries neighboring the Czech Republic, the campaign website is run in English, Slovak and German. Each visitor who stays in one of the 353 hotels in Prague receive points (maximum 8) for his stay, which can be exchanged for tickets to 52 museums and places of interest in Prague (e.g. to the Kampa Museum, to the viewing platform in Prasna Tower Brana, cost - 1 point) and for tickets for a dozen or so tours (e.g. around Prague Castle or the Prague legends).
The strategy is paying off - the number of tourists in Prague has been growing since the beginning of the summer holidays - mostly from Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia.The temporary suspension of flights and the fear of flying have made Prague an interesting holiday destination for middle-class tourists who choose Prague more often in the face of the pandemic. The campaign drives touristic traffic - a thousand people are accommodated in Prague every day - that is about 60 thousandadditionally generated nights by end of August.The campaign is planned till the end of September and Prague's estimate indicates that the campaign will bring the tourist sector additional revenues of 15-20 millionsEUR.
Prague's strategy aimed at stimulating tourism in better quality hotels and in (proven and attractive) tourism products. It supports two market segments most affected by the consequences of the pandemic - hotels and cultural institutions.At the same time, less traffic in Prague (residents have gone on vacation), a wide range of tourist services and professionally run tourist products make it possible to attract by the brand more affluent segments of target groups.All this means that Prague is strengthening its position at the expense of other cities in this part of Europe - Krakow, Wrocław, Vienna and Munich.
Since 2007, the PAULAT agency has been conducting analyzes, marketing research and other research projects aimed at building effective marketing, image and communication strategies for territorial brands.Our experience is used by the strategies of several dozen territorial brands in Poland, beggining from Sopot, Kołobrzeg, through Dolny Śląsk, Wrocław, Płock, Olsztyn to Cieszyn, Jasło and Krynica.