Travel with the stars: How Bollywood stars are helping boost tourism

Yash Chopra made Switzerland the ultimate honeymoon destination for Indians by showing off the lovely locales in his films. A road-trip to Goa became a must-do for most youngsters after watching Dil Chahta Hai. These are just some examples of Bollywood influencing travel trends in the country.

More recently, Pangong Lake in Ladakh topped tourists’ itinerary after 3 Idiots was shot there, while Spain saw a huge influx of travellers after Zoya Akhtar had Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol driving across the country on a bachelor trip of sorts.

While many destinations associate with movies for a short duration, some tourism boards, taking note of the influence B-Town has on footfalls, have signed on actors to promote them.

Brand talk

Bollywood actors have endorsed everything from innerwear to fairness cream to ceiling fans and of course, various colas. This is one tried-and-tested formula that has worked for various brands. According to Karan Anand, Head — Relationships, Cox & Kings Ltd, “Celebrity endorsement is a vehicle that brands — especially destinations — use to increase their visibility. In India, more than 80 international destinations are vying for the attention of the Indian traveller and to rise above the clutter, destinations have successfully used celebrities and more so Bollywood stars, as they have a wide appeal.’’

Building a connect

Besides the glamour factor, it’s the connect that these actors have with the masses that boosts their value. Neelu Singh, CEO & Director, Ezeego1, says, “International tourism boards and destinations have realised that roping in influencers like sportsmen and Bollywood celebrities have immense value and can help them create a differentiated connect with the Indian travellers.”

Amitabh Bachchan as the face of Gujarat Tourism was noted by everyone. Right from donning the traditional attire to highlighting the state’s wildlife, Big B’s presence sure added value to the campaign. Neelu says, “Gujarat is a perfect example of how an influencer can bring value to the destination by educating travellers about the tourism offerings. Other Indian states and International destinations have been gaining immense visibility from travellers after appointing popular Indian celebrities as tourism ambassadors.”

The appeal factor

While some actors are chosen for their youth appeal, others are chosen for their influence on people of all sectors. Other factors like association with a particular state can also be a reason that an actor becomes the face of that destination. For example, SRK, who is the owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders has featured in the tourism ad of West Bengal, while John Abraham, who is the owner of Indian Super League franchise NorthEast United FC, is the ambassador of Arunachal Pradesh Tourism. The actor even said that he was keen to shoot a movie there.

Social media presence

With social media being a huge aspect for brands to consider, the actors with an army of fans are definitely on the top of the list of most brands. As part of their duty as the ambassadors of the tourism boards, the actors regularly updates their social media pages including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Both, Ranveer and Sidharth, shared their fun moments through pictures and videos from their visits to Switzerland and New Zealand, respectively.

It works!

The reason why more actors are being considered for this task is because of the rise in footfalls that these destinations have seen. Karan says, “Destinations such as Switzerland and New Zealand have witnessed a rise in the number of tourists to their destinations post endorsements by celebrities. In fact, today many state tourism boards are travelling that route. In India, a number of states have roped in celebrities as their brand ambassadors. Domestic tourism campaigns involving celebrities were immensely successful due to their star value, credibility and enormous fan following.” However, he also points out that there are states like Goa, Rajasthan and Kerala whose tourist influx has always been good even when they didn’t have any celebrities to promote tourism.

Destination watch

Amitabh Bachchan
Gujarat

Right from wearing the traditional garb of the state to highlighting the wildlife in Gujarat, Amitabh Bachchan urged people to visit by saying ‘Kuch din toh guzaro Gujarat mein’. Right from the beautiful Rann of Kutch, the music, the handicrafts, the religious places, the destinations, the wildlife and the lifestyle, the actor was seen showcasing the various aspects of the state through the impactful tourism ads.

Shah Rukh Khan
West Bengal/ Dubai

It was his association with Kolkata due to the ownership of the IPL cricket team of that state, that made him a natural choice to be a part of West Bengal tourism ads. He featured in the ad and welcomed people to the state, which he said is the “sweetest part of India”. He also collaborated with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) for a series of short films. The project will see the actor unravel the secrets of Dubai, offering his fans a chance to see the city through his eyes. The ad saw SRK surprising tourists by dropping in during their visits, and welcoming others to be his guests.

Priyanka Chopra
Assam

Though Priyanka Chopra played Mary Kom in the biopic based on the life of the boxer from Manipur, she is the face of another North-eastern state — Assam. The actress said that she finds a strong connection with the North-East and has travelled on many occasions to Manipur during the making of biopic Mary Kom. During the event held to announce her association, she had said, “I have been to Guwahati before, but let me tell you all the North-Eastern states have a unique identity and each state is so different.”

John Abraham
Arunachal Pradesh

John Abraham is the owner of Indian Super League franchise NorthEast United FC. He became the face of Arunachal Pradesh Tourism in 2016. Besides owning the football team, John has supported the Seven Sisters by participating in Run for North-East, a marathon hosted in January 2016.

Sidharth Malhotra
New Zealand

His youth appeal is what made him a perfect fit to promote tourism in New Zealand, which is often considered to be the motherland of all sorts of adventure activities. The actor has visited the country twice. During both his visits, he has promoted the various activities any adrenaline-junkie would want to attempt.

Ranveer Singh
Switzerland

Ranveer Singh’s youth appeal makes him a natural asset to any brand. He is the Indian brand ambassador for Switzerland Tourism. In the advertisement released last month by Switzerland Tourism for India, the actor can be seen making the best of various experiences that include sampling the sights, the food and adventure activities in Switzerland. The campaign this year is being called, In Love With Switzerland.