The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will recognize the Cape May County Department of Tourism with a Gold Adrian Award for public relations excellence for its winning entry in the 54th annual Adrian Awards Competition, the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition globally.
This year’s contest attracted nearly 1,100 entries from around the world, with entries judged by top executives from all sectors of the industry.
“The multi-layered campaign targeting the loyal French Canadian traveling public was implemented largely through a public relations strategy saving thousands of dollars in the Department’s budget and resulting in significant proceeds at the cash registers as reported by businesses throughout the county,” explained Diane Wieland, director of tourism for Cape May County.
The winning marketing campaign featured the “Passport to Savings” coupon booklet designed to entice French Canadian travelers to vacation in Cape May County by offering hundreds of dollars in savings. The coupon booklet was distributed in several ways including the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) offices located throughout the Province of Quebec. Agents in all the CAA offices across the French Canadian province offered the coupon booklet to customers with every TripTik prepared for travelers vacationing in Cape May County. Thousands of attendees at the Montreal Sportsman show also received the coupon booklet at the Cape May County booth in February, 2010.
Locally, a campaign featured a French-language commercial on WCZT 98.7 FM and FUN 106.7 FM and signage on tram cars in the Wildwoods thanking the French Canadian visitors for 40 years of loyalty to Cape May County.
HSMAI will pay tribute to the Cape May County Department of Tourism during the annual HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala, a black-tie affair attended by more than 1,000 hospitality, travel and tourism marketing executives, on Jan. 31, 2011 at the New York Marriott Marquis. All winning entries will be accessible in the Adrian Awards Winners Gallery online following the gala at www.adrianawards.com
