Portugal took over Times Square for 60 minutes
“Close to US. Close to Portugal” is the latest marketing campaign by Turismo de Portugal to promote the country in the United States and it took over Times Square showing off 24 breath-taking images of Portugal.
There was a countdown, a message from Cristiano Ronaldo, and sixty minutes of Portuguese stunning landscapes on the main screens of Times Square. Portugal appeared on the billboards of New York's most famous square Friday 18th November, in an initiative that lasted an hour and marked the start of a new plan to promote the country in the North American market.
Turismo de Portugal decided to present 24 Portuguese landscapes, all appearing in the same slot of time, betting on diversity and sense of community as one of Portugal’s greatest assets:
The medieval town of Óbidos, Ericeira, Cerdeira Village (of schist houses), Serra da Estrela, Porto (Casa da Música + Serralves), Douro, Lisbon (MAAT, Arch of Rua Augusta and Miradouro Sta. Luzia), Sintra, the Algarve (Praia dos 3 Irmãos and Sete Vales Suspensos) and Alentejo (Alqueva, wine tourism, Monsaraz and Comporta) are the areas represented in mainland Portugal, to which were added the Azores - featuring Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Salto do Cabrito, Furnas and Praia do Moinho - and Madeira, with Pico Ruivo, Pico do Arieiro and Levada do Larano.
This campaign aims to promote Portugal in the United States and it is expected to reach 500 million people worldwide - something that should boost sales of Portuguese tourism in North American territory, at a time when it is gaining increasing weight in Portugal.
By September this year, there was a growth in the number of guests (21.6%) and overnight stays (22.4%), compared to 2019, which made the US market the fourth main issuer to Portugal and the fifth in terms of overnight stays. As for tourism revenues, the market recorded, between January and September 2022, an increase of 48% compared to the same period of the last pre-pandemic year. In September alone, revenues from the American market grew by 63.7% and Turismo de Portugal wants to take advantage of this trend to encourage the acceleration of growth in this market.
“Close to US. Close to Portugal” began this Friday on Times Square, New York and will gain a stronger expression in the coming days, with a major focus on digital marketing. The idea is to promote the country as an inspiring and welcoming destination, highlighting the privileged geographical position and the connectivity between the United States and Portugal.
At a time when the number of North Americans in transit is growing, because of Thanksgiving, there is a greater willingness to book holidays and trips, so Portugal will be present in a network of 3,000 digital billboards in airports with direct connections to the country. According to Turismo de Portugal, the "Close to US" campaign has an expected impact of 55 million impressions, to which must be added the media impact and views of around 12 million users at JFK, La Guardia and Newark airports.
