What Is Destination Marketing?

Destination marketing, also known as tourism marketing, is, simply put, a strategy for promoting destinations.

This involves promoting the culture, history, nature, and unique experiences of a place.

One role of destination marketing is to communicate the value and appeal of visiting a place to users. As a result, it can help increase travelers to the region and contribute to local economic development.

This marketing strategy is not limited to simply sharing information. It uses a range of methods, including web advertising, social media, SEO, and influencer marketing, to achieve specific goals.

Another important aspect of destination marketing is sustainability. By protecting natural environments and cultural heritage while offering valuable experiences to visitors, destinations can contribute to long-term regional development. In other words, the goal is not only to increase tourist numbers, but also to preserve the unique character of the region over time.

Destination Marketing Trends After COVID-19

The global spread of COVID-19 had an unprecedented impact on the tourism industry. International travel restrictions, lockdowns, and social distancing measures led to a sharp decline in tourist numbers worldwide.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals in 2020 fell by approximately 73% compared with 2019, marking the largest decline in decades.

UNWTO Japan Office: Trends in International Tourism (PDF in Japanese)

Against this backdrop, destination marketing can be said to have temporarily slowed down.

Destination marketing is also said to be an area with a shortage of specialists, making it difficult to find companies with strong expertise in the field.

Mode Media Japan has focused on destination marketing since before the pandemic, supporting PR and visitor growth for overseas tourism boards, international airlines, hotels, and related organizations.

Our work extends beyond marketing activities. We provide a wide range of support, including sales representation, consumer inquiry support, planning and operation of industry seminars, and liaison support with organizations such as the Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, JATA, and sister cities.

Contact us for more information.

Destination Marketing Case Studies

1. Tourism Promotion in Yamanashi Prefecture Using Social Media

The Yamanashi Prefecture Tourism Promotion Division collaborated with Trip.com Group, a major Chinese online travel company, to conduct a tourism promotion using live commerce targeting the Chinese market, with the goal of deepening online engagement with individual travelers during the pandemic.。

Live commerce is a method of introducing products through live streaming, allowing viewers to ask questions in real time while shopping.

Through this initiative, Yamanashi attracted approximately 1.12 million viewers within the first hour of the live stream and recorded around 8.88 million yen in sales. The campaign also generated high engagement, with approximately 170,000 likes and 4,800 comments, demonstrating an effective promotional approach for overseas markets.

2. A Hot Spring Inn in a Small Hokkaido Town Increases New Guests More Than Sevenfold Through SEO

Yuyupippu, a hot spring inn located in Pippu, a small town in Hokkaido, is an example of a business that used content marketing to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and contribute to regional revitalization. Starting in May 2022, the inn launched a strategic content marketing initiative and achieved notable results within just six months. Specifically, it tripled website traffic and ranked first on Google for the keyword “Hokkaido touring.” As a result, the number of new guests, particularly motorcycle travelers, increased seven to tenfold during the season. Yuyupippu’s success was driven by appropriate keyword selection, SEO measures, and content designed for a clearly defined target audience. By targeting riders who dream of traveling across Hokkaido’s vast landscapes by motorcycle and providing the information they were looking for, the inn captured the interest of potential customers. Its success was also supported by actively communicating the appeal of Pippu’s location and local cuisine made with regional ingredients.

3. JR Central and Shizuoka Prefecture Hold an Instagram Photo Contest

An influencer marketing initiative conducted jointly by JR Central and Tokyo Camera Club has attracted attention as a successful model for tourism promotion in Shizuoka Prefecture. The campaign featured Shiho, a popular travel Instagrammer with approximately 124,000 followers and author of “World’s Most Beautiful Places to See Before You Die,” as the face of the campaign. Shiho posted a beautiful landscape photo taken at Fuji Cemetery in Shizuoka Prefecture on Instagram and introduced the Shizuoka Destination Campaign by Shizuoka Prefecture and JR Central. As part of the campaign, a photo contest was held with Shiho serving as a judge. Participants posted photos capturing the appeal of Shizuoka Prefecture on Instagram using the hashtag #静岡dc. As a result, more than 21,000 posts were submitted during the campaign, sharing a wide range of beautiful Shizuoka scenery across social media.

Examples of Destination Marketing Initiatives

Destination marketing includes a variety of initiatives designed to present destinations in an appealing way and increase visitors. Below are several key initiatives to consider when implementing destination marketing.

Content Marketing and SEO

Content marketing is a strategy that increases destination awareness, reservations, and inquiries by creating compelling content and improving search engine visibility.

By creating high-quality articles, blog posts, photos, videos, and other content, and optimizing that content for SEO, destinations can appear higher in search results for relevant keywords. This helps increase visitors through organic search.

Mode Media Japan has over 15 years of expertise in SEO and content strategy developed through operating two media platforms: Glam.jp, an online media platform for women, and Tend.jp, a media platform focused on parenting and mothers.

Web Advertising

Web advertising places ads in search results, on websites frequently visited by the target audience, and across social media platforms. Because it enables direct outreach to people considering travel, web advertising is well suited for increasing travelers and reservations in the short term. Mode Media Japan has extensive experience in advertising operations, and we welcome consultations such as “Where should we start?” or “What can we do with a small budget campaigns?”

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is one of the essential initiatives in modern destination marketing. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok allow destinations to share photos, videos, and stories in real time, increasing user engagement. Visual content is especially effective for communicating a destination’s appeal intuitively.

In recent years, Instagram-based approaches have become increasingly common.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing uses individuals with strong influence on social media to increase awareness and communicate the appeal of destinations. When influencers visit a destination and share their experiences with followers, they can generate credible word-of-mouth effects and encourage travel interest. This approach is especially effective for marketing to younger audiences.

In-Person Events and Experiences

In-person events and experiential activities are also important elements of destination marketing. Festivals, workshops, guided tours, and other opportunities that allow visitors to experience local culture and nature directly can communicate a destination’s appeal more deeply. These experiences can also encourage social media sharing and generate word-of-mouth effects.

Mode Media Japan’s Strengths

Mode Media Japan launched Glam.jp, its owned media platform focused on women’s lifestyle content, in November 2008. By networking women’s magazine-style sites with highly engaged users and connecting them with luxury brand clients, Mode Media Japan established a digital marketing ecosystem that creates and distributes compelling content and delivers brand messages to audiences. More than 15 years since its founding, Mode Media Japan has developed a wide range of insights through its owned media and network operations. Our greatest strength is the ability to provide integrated proposals, from digital marketing analysis and planning to content production and reach maximization through advertising and ad networks.