Bavaria-based Outdooractive, Europe's largest outdoor portal for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and skiing, has launched a new social media campaign to help tourism providers around the world address the challenges of COVID-19.
As part of the www.exploremyregion.com campaign, over 100 tourism companies and destinations from across Europe, the USA and beyond, will raise awareness of the tourism offering in their respective towns and regions in a bid to attract visitors.
Several global brands have also committed their support to the campaign with Intersport, Wanderfit, and Scarpa, amongst others, helping locals understand exactly what they have available on their doorstep while showcasing a new destination to potential visitors.
Hartmut Wimmer, the Founder, and CEO of Outdooractive, which connects tourism stakeholders with a global outdoor community of over 7.3 million enthusiasts, said:
“We wanted to develop a campaign that created a platform empowering local tourism as well as our partners around the world. We have adopted a collaborative approach, because it is only by working together that we can coordinate and then amplify the noise surrounding this campaign to offset the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
"The campaign also provides a helping hand to shop owners, craftsmen, and restaurant owners, who guided, wowed, and inspired visitors with their local knowledge, handicrafts, and unique culinary skills. The platform is designed to give back to the people who have helped to make travel experiences so rewarding and to help them get up and running once again.”
It is expected there will be a rise in the number of domestic tourists participating in adventure tourism, which includes desert safaris, climbing, surfing, hunting, caving, diving, cycling, rafting, and hiking, as the appeal of local destinations and healthy outdoor pursuits gather momentum in the wake of COVID-19.
“Now is the time to step up, support the tourism industry and enjoy the many fantastic opportunities we have available to us, now that restrictions have been lifted and we are more able to experience the great outdoors,” concluded Wimmer.
Hugo van Donselaar, Managing Director for Campspace, an online platform that provides unique camping spots throughout the Netherlands, that has been supporting the campaign through their website and social media channels, said: “ExploreMyRegion aligns seamlessly with our mission to support local industry. We believe in true sustainable travel and adventures, that can be found just around the corner, which this campaign really helps to deliver.”
James Simpson, Project Manager for Finnish-based St Olav Waterway, added: “This initiative is exactly what we need to help raise awareness of the local tourism industry. We’re delighted to be playing our part in a campaign that is not only supporting tourism in Finland, but also local tourism in other countries around the world.”
