Who couldn’t use a spa about now? And where better to take a treatment than in Germany, says the country’s tourist board, which has launched a campaign to capitalize on the European nation’s reputation as a high-quality health and wellness destination at a time when global demand for holidays that are safe, sustainable, and mindful increases.
Adding a touch of “historical flair,” the “German.Spa.Tradition” campaign is aimed at travellers seeking to get away from it all by touting culture and relaxation at the country’s plentiful health spas and resorts or simply by lingering “in the mountains or in the midst of green meadows and forests.”
The German National Tourist Board notes that the coronavirus pandemic “has changed the preferences and expectations of travellers the world over (and that) interest in health and wellness is on the up, nature and leisure are more important than ever, outdoor activities are in demand, and sustainable holidays are growing in popularity.”
The campaign highlights a wide range of offerings for visitors to take advantage of as travel restrictions are lifted and taking current measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus into account.
“People are looking to recharge their batteries, and they can do that at more than 350 approved spa and health resorts across Germany,” says Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the German National Tourist Board. “Visitors will benefit from local remedies that can only be found in these locations. A long-standing spa tradition and the highest quality standards in medical care can help with recovery and illness prevention, while a healthy diet and exercise in unspoilt countryside allow body and mind to recuperate.”
Hedorfer also points to Germany’s historical spa architecture, as well as parks and cultural offerings in German spa resorts as contributors to a “memorable experience” for visitors.
The targeted campaign coincides with the launch of a microsite designed to provide inspiration and information, as well as a promotional video, that offers insights into Germany’s spa traditions. The main campaign tool is storytelling, which will be utilized via social media activities, as well as through campaign ambassadors and themed newsletters. Where conditions allow, the GNTB is planning events in the markets.
Themes
At the heart of the campaign are five themes, which structure the broad spectrum of tourist offerings and make it easier for potential travellers to Germany to see what is available.
• ‘Breathe’ presents Germany’s varied landscapes as the ideal space for outdoor activities such as hiking, running, lake-side walks, and meditational forest bathing.
• ‘Renew’ showcases natural medicinal resources such as peat, mud, and mineral and thermal springs as the basis for a diverse range of wellness and health treatments.
• ‘Enjoy’ explores how spa traditions live on in elegant architecture, events, and exhibitions.
• ‘Feel’ highlights natural treatments that boost energy levels and wellbeing. These include Kneipp’s traditional cold-water cures.
• ‘Taste’ focuses on how closely the enjoyment of food and drink is linked to a healthy diet that avoids processed food.
Campaign ambassadors bring the themes to life through personal stories, offerings, and ideas. Abbess Laetitia, for example, teaches therapeutic principles at Waldsassen abbey in north-east Bavaria. During the tours, guests learn about hydrotherapy wading sessions and walking barefoot, wholefood nutrition, and the use of medicinal plants.
The international trend for forest bathing is the focus of forester and best-selling author Peter Wohlleben, who passes on his extensive knowledge about the life of the forest and its calming and energizing effect on humans at his forest academy.
The GNTB is complementing the themes of its campaign through marketing collaborations with partners, including Bad Zwischenahn, Baden-Baden and Wiesbaden.
Check out the microsite HERE. (https://www.bit.ly/2Vs2xcT)
‘Feel Good’
Running concurrently with the spa initiative is an expanded “Feel Good” campaign, similarly based on sustainable travel and well-being precepts that includes tips how visitors can plan sustainable trips across Germany without having to compromise on safety or fun.
Information includes:
• Environmentally friendly transportation options
• Activities combining fresh air and fitness
• Urban green havens away from city life and in rural towns
• Sustainable products and services, including hotels
Meanwhile, tips for sustainable travel complement the information on offer, while a multilingual CO2 calculator enables travellers to document their trip’s emissions and offset them through local schemes.
“Service providers along the tourism value chain are developing professional offerings that meet customers’ growing expectations in terms of environmental responsibility, sustainability and values,” says Hedorfer. “(This) campaign focuses on added value for the visitor: certified sustainable offers that represent quality, convenience, enjoyment, authenticity and regionality, and which help to mitigate climate change.”