Raunchy ad does wonders for tourism in little-known city

Basilian monastery gate in the Old Town in Vilnius in Lithuania

Lithuania’s infamous ‘G-spot of Europe’ campaign is once again attracting attention, winning the best destination campaign for a city at the International Travel and Tourism Awards in London.

The ad for the country’s capital, Vilnius, made headlines in August last year for its raunchy concept, featuring a young woman laying on a bedsheet with a map of Europe on it, grasping at the spot on the map where Vilnius is located.

“Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it – it’s amazing,” the tagline read.

It also included a string of short videos for social media where it looks as though people are about to orgasm, however, they’re in fact staring in awe at Vilnius’s many attractions. Check them out here.

The campaign was aimed at 18 to 35-year-old British and German holidaymakers, but attracted a lot of attention from the country’s devoutly Catholic population.

Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grusas, an outspoken critic of the campaign, said it “potentially strengthens the image of Vilnius as a sex tourism city and exploits the sexuality of women”, according to News.com.au.

But the ad certainly had the desired effect, with Vilnius seeing a 12.5 per cent increase in overall tourism numbers, according to CNN.

Visitors from the targeted markets, Germany and the UK, increased by 37.8 per cent and 20.5 per cent respectively.

Inga Romanovskienè, the director of the city’s tourism board, Go Vilnius, told CNN that while it’s not a well-known city, when visitors discover Vilnius they enjoy their experience.

“It was specifically directed at a millennial audience, and while the language is suggestive, it was important for us to ensure the imagery used is not explicit,” she said.

“The messaging was not aimed to be taken directly.”

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]