Success Stories
Quote of the Month
The beauty, charm and appeal of Paris and in particular the Louvre are beyond dispute.
One would have thought that the 'City of Light' could not be more attractive in any way. And yet, Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci Code, generated an unprecedented surge in tourism to Paris. It achieved what neither Paris nor the Louvre on their own managed to achieve. And that despite the fact that every reader knew full well that
the story was fictitious, written for entertainment or, at best, to stimulate a debate. Certainly, it was not written as a piece of Public Relations (PR) for the French Tourist Office! And yet, it served it immensely.
The Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) could learn a lesson from this serendipity. It could perhaps be applied to our own island to a certain extent, even if not fully duplicated. A story, even a fictitious one, could enhance our ailing tourism beyond our expectations.In fact, one such story has just been published: The Mistress of the Rock. Written by Myron Edwards, and fed by the legend of Aphrodite, it tickles the readers' curiosity and stimulates their imagination.
If properly promoted beyond our shores, who knows, it could draw an unforeseeable number of visitors to Cyprus; readers hoping to retrace the locations mentioned in the tale, or others hoping to experience even a fraction of the intense emotions that fill the pages of Edwards' book.
Obviously, not every businessman can write a novel to stimulate interest in his product. But enhancing your theme event or mail shot with a storyline, rather than being purely product related and promotional, could significantly increase its appeal.Think about it.
Michael Virardi
Read the complete article athttp://www.michaelvirardi.com