Positive energy and innovation out of Discover Lancaster, Discover Long Island, and Dollywood.

In Australia, a national logo that cost AUS $10 million got scrapped for looking too much like a Covid-19 molecule. Apparently, it was meant to look like a wattle, the national flower.

“The project the Nation Brand Advisory Council spearheaded was given a budget of over $10 million for the past four years, an Austrade spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. ‘The project has been delivered under budget with total expenditure of $9.8m.’ the organisation said.” 

But where’s the kangaroo?

Last week, the failed Nation Brand logo for business and trade was replaced by a contemporary expression of a kangaroo-themed logo (below left) based on boomerang visuals that’s being provided free in a toolkit for Australian businesses to use when promoting and advertising their products.

It replaces the old kangaroo logo (below right).

From the school of “don’t fix what ain’t broken,” research indicates that the earlier logo (below right) was recognized by 99% of Australians and trusted by 92%. Critics of the revamp say the 35-year-old “Australian Made” symbol of a kangaroo in a triangle on a green background was working just fine.

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Meantime Down Under, the borders reopened on February 21. Tourism Australia is investing $40 million in a new international campaign, “Don’t Go Small. Go Australia.”

Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said the campaign will run across TV, print, digital and social channels in key markets and feature some of Australia’s most iconic destinations and experiences. A strong rebound is expected. CBS News reported, “Vaccinated travelers were greeted at Sydney’s airport by jubilant well-wishers waving toy koalas and favorite Australian foods including Tim Tams chocolate cookies and jars of Vegemite spread. Federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan was on hand to welcome the first arrivals on a Qantas flight from Los Angeles.” 

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In Canada, Covid-19 testing rules for vaccinated travelers are being relaxed starting on February 28. Also, the Canadian government will no longer recommend that Canadians avoid nonessential travel. Air Canada will expand operations to 46 U.S airports this summer, aiming at 90% of its pre-pandemic service levels.

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In the U.K., Covid-19 self-isolation laws, restrictions, and mass testing will end on April 1 under a new “Living With Covid” strategy.

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In Pennsylvania, Discover Lancaster has a plan for getting meeting planners to do just that…to discover Lancaster and book a meeting.

Here’s the plan. The DMO is partnering with Southern Airways Express to pay for round trip flights for qualified meeting planners in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh into Lancaster.

In addition to daily flights to these two cities and direct weekly flights to Nantucket, the commuter airline serves 40 U.S. cities across five time zones. Due to Southern Airways agreements with United, American, and Alaska airlines, this means Lancaster is easy to reach from anywhere.

Ed Harris, President & CEO, said, “Although the leisure side of our business filled in the gap created by the decline in meetings and conventions last year, we’re now deploying new strategies in 2022 to connect with meeting planners to help grow this important segment again. Meeting planners are surprised to learn about our 1 million square feet of meeting space, over 100 hotel options, and the fact that we have our own Lancaster airport (LNS),” said Harris.

Prior to the pandemic, Harris indicates that meetings accounted for 40% of the destination’s mix. Despite a drop to about 16% for the meetings segment, a surge in leisure business boosted the local lodging revenue to its highest in four years, including a strong Q4 in 2021 that exceeded pre-pandemic 2019.

Discover Lancaster is rolling out their digital marketing campaign this week with homepage takeovers in the Washington DC Business Journal and the Pittsburgh Business Times, along with targeted social media placements via Click Upon, a Lancaster-based social media agency.

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In Tennessee, Dolly Parton—a 2022 nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—has revealed that Dollywood Parks and Resorts, will pay 100% of tuition costs, fees, and books for any employee who wants to pursue a higher education. The “Grow U Program” is being provided by Herschend Enterprises with Dolly’s financial backing.

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In New York, Discover Long Island jumped on the word guessing trend, creating a customized “LongIslandle” version updated daily with a themed destination word. To maximize engagement, players will be encouraged to submit relevant words on the website or via DM on Instagram, with prizes for those who submit chosen terms.

“Our team keeps a keen eye on the latest trends to keep Long Island top of mind for local, national and global visitors and “LongIslandle” is the latest example of that out-of-the-box thinking,” said Kristen Jarnagin Reynolds, President and CEO of Discover Long Island. “It’s no accident that Discover Long Island has been lauded as an industry leader for our innovative use of social and digital channels and this new “LongIslandle” is a unique and subtle marketing opportunity for the region delivered to puzzle fans in a fun format.”

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