Using sport to sell unsellable travel destinations

Have you ever watched a sporting event, seen a tourism sponsor on a shirt and then decided to visit that destination?

No? Me neither.

Yet there is a growing trend for tourism boards to splash out hundreds of thousands of dollars on logos and patches on football jerseys.

Close to home we have “Tasmania” on the Hawthorn AFL guernseys. It is part of a sponsorship package deal.

In the English Premier League, top team Arsenal has the bewildering slogan “Visit Rwanda” on its shirts.

It is hard to believe it has attracted one Gunners fan to hotfoot it from north London to Africa for their annual holiday rather than Mallorca.

Arsenal maintain their deal is about promoting tourism in a developing country rather than supporting the country's political leadership. Visit Rwanda, however,  is an arm of the Rwanda Development Board which is a government department. 

Visit Rwanda also has deals with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

MSC Cruises sponsors soccer teams including Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Napoli, which makes a little more sense. And AFC Bournemouth has a deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association. OK. 

And airline sponsorships, of which there are many, sort of make sense.

But an announcement this week was particularly baffling: a deal between newly relegated English Premier League team Burnley and Visit Detroit. 

Maybe a lot of residents in the small northern English town have an interest in learning about urban degradation. Somehow I doubt it.

As per the agreement, the tourism board’s logo will feature as the Clarets’ main shirt sponsor during the team’s US pre-season. 

 
Visit Detroit (the city is pictured above) will additionally serve as Burnley’s travel wear partner. 

Since 2020, Burnley has been owned by US investment group ALK Capital, so there is some link, but it is hard to see just why anyone would make Detroit their US travel destination.

Marcus Mellor, Head of Commercial (silly title, that) at Burnley, said: “We are delighted to begin this new journey with Visit Detroit in this remarkable partnership.

“Football transcends geographical boundaries, and I’m pleased that through this collaboration we can strengthen our ties with US communities and fly the Clarets' flag stateside as we celebrate the passion for the beautiful game."

Detroit, for the uninitiated, was once known as Murder City and has had some of the highest crime rates in the US.

And you have to wonder whether Visit Detroit knows the difference between the Premier League, which draws worldwide attention, and the second-tier Championship, which does noe.   

I think they are all kidding themselves.

 the beautiful game.” 

 

 

 

Messi cashes in with controversial sponsorship deals

There is no doubt that Lionel Messi is one of the finest footballers of all time. 

Messi has starred for Barcelona, Paris St Germain and Argentina, earning multiple trophies, including winning the World Cup in 2022, in which he won a record second Golden Ball, scored seven goals including two in the final, and broke the record for most games played at the World Cup (26)..

But as Messi's career winds down with a spell at Inter Miami, he is raking in money from sponsorships.

Fresh from christening the world’s largest cruise ship, Messi is now fronting the latest Saudi Arabia tourism campaign, which critics say contrasts with his work as UNICEF Goodwill ambassador. 

Messi recently christened Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which has been slammed for its size given the cruise industry's long-term goals of sustainability.

Messi, a Saudi Tourism Ambassador on a deal reportedly worth $US25 million, is also the face of the ‘Go Beyond What You Think’ campaign, which is being launched in key target markets in Europe, India and China.

The campaign aims to dispel what is says are misconceptions about Saudi as a destination, and about its culture.

Visitors and Saudi residents are encouraged to share positive experiences and memories on TikTok and social channels using the bi-lingual hashtags #ShareYourSaudi ( #السعودية_بعيون .)

The latest spot in the ‘Saudi Welcome to Arabia’ barnd campaign will air on TV, social, digital channels and OTA activations over a three-month period, Travel Mole reports.

The message is to encourage travellers to "e open-minded to new cultures and destinations, holding an open heart while travelling".

The video showcases Saudi’s diverse locations and terrain and a number of high-profile female achievers are featured including the Saudi women’s national football team and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman in space.

But human rights organisation Amnesty International says: "The reality for people living in Saudi Arabia, is one where their basic human rights are ignored, their freedoms are restricted and punishment is severe."

Messi and his teammates at Inter Miami are in the country to play two games against Saudi clubs this week.