I read in a Hosteltur report entitled "Businesses that Resist the Storm"The destinations with the best image and events throughout the summer have weathered the crisis well. Formentera is one of these destinations.
The report explains how Formentera has benefited in terms of image and therefore, in terms of occupancy, from the Estrella Damm beer commercial set on the island, and whose soundtrack has become the song of the summer.
This spot began airing at the beginning of June, only for the Spanish market and, curiously, in July the occupancy by Spanish tourists increased by 2.37 points compared to last year (this year it was 84.25%). In August, this increase was 1.40 points more (it reached 90%).
The increases would not seem like anything out of the ordinary in normal times, but in an environment with widespread falls, they reflect that behind them there is a good marketing action and a good product, especially if we take into account that the occupancy in July of the Sun and Beach destinations on the Spanish coast fell by more than 10%.
The curious thing about this case is that the promotion of Formentera did not have a cost, nor was it something planned in advance, at least as far as those in charge of Formentera Tourism Promotion are concerned.
Although obviously, not all the credit goes to the advertisement, since Italians did not see it and also increased their overnight stays and their market share (they now represent 50.1% of tourism in Formentera). But this destination enjoys a very good image in the issuing markets, linked to a bohemian-romantic spirit and unspoiled natural landscapes, a stereotype that the Damm advertisement helped to reinforce.
In general, in times of crisis, it is the image of a destination and the proximity to the source markets that makes one destination successful over others. When there is no money, people travel to the best possible place within a given radius, and Mediterranean islands with a good image have reaped their reward this year.
