One of the most important tasks of a tourist board organization or DMO is to research and analyze the main objectives of your country’s marketing plan to drive tourist traffic to your target region. There are several ways you can promote your country. This article gives insights into the best country marketing strategies that help attract more visitors in 2026.

Table of Contents:

What Is Country Marketing?

Like destination marketing, country marketing is also about promoting a specific country to increase the number of travelers to that particular location. Destination marketing, however, can also be an area or city marketing, whereas country marketing focuses broadly on a region.

The main goal of country marketing is to make the region look more attractive than other places, thus increasing the number of visitors and bringing business to the local travel industry. It ultimately improves the target region’s image and makes it more appealing to foreign visitors.

Why Is Country Marketing Important?

Global tourism is very competitive. UNWTO reports that international tourist arrivals reached about 1.4 billion in 2024, about 99 percent of pre-pandemic levels, so travelers have many choices.

To attract visitors to the target country, you must highlight the most desirable aspects of the place. Think about the attraction sites that would draw people and tempt them to visit. For example, you can pinpoint the must-see sites of Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, or entice visitors to see the Northern Lights in Finland.

The primary goal of country marketing is to make the target region stand out as the best alternative so that visitors choose that place over the others. This can be done by highlighting all the unique and attractive sites of the target region. Successful country marketing can greatly benefit the local tourism industry, including restaurants, entertainment venues, airlines, railways, car rental companies, tour operators, and other sectors.

Table: Benefits of Country Marketing

Benefits of City Marketing Description Examples
Economic Growth City marketing stimulates economic development by promoting tourism, attracting businesses, and increasing investments within the city. Attracting major events like international conferences and festivals that boost local businesses.
Attracting foreign investors through targeted marketing.
Supporting local entrepreneurs and startups.
Cultural Enrichment City marketing showcases a city’s cultural heritage, artistic achievements, and diverse offerings. It encourages cultural exchange and appreciation. Promoting cultural festivals, exhibitions, and events.
Celebrating local traditions and heritage.
Fostering creativity and artistic initiatives.
Community Well-Being Effective city marketing enhances the overall quality of life for residents by attracting essential services, improving infrastructure, and promoting sustainability. Attracting healthcare providers and medical tourism.
Supporting green initiatives and sustainability projects.
Strengthening community engagement and social cohesion.

Who Is Responsible for Country Marketing?

As a DMO (destination marketing organization), you are responsible for marketing a target country. In fact, anyone in the tourism management field is responsible for representing the target country to be promoted. Your role is to drive tourist traffic to the region by implementing various marketing strategies.

As a DMO, your task isn’t just to encourage visitors to come to the subject country, but you are also in charge of providing them with all the relevant information about that region’s top attractions. Most hotels, restaurants, and resort managers appoint their own DMOs to help promote their businesses.

20 Country Marketing Strategies to Attract More Tourists in 2026

Many effective marketing strategies can be implemented to drive visitor traffic to a target country. These strategies help enhance the image of the country and boost awareness. To accomplish your key objective as a DMO, i.e., attract visitors to a target region, here are 20 country marketing techniques that will put you on the road to success.

Country Marketing- Country Marketing Strategies

1. Highlight the Main Attractions

One of the most important steps for a DMO is to highlight the main attraction points of the target country. Think of the unique selling features of the region, such as its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mountain hiking trails, ski slopes, secluded beaches, or holy temples. As you can see, there is a huge number of attractions that can make a country seem more appealing to tourists.

If the country you promote has architectural landmarks, ancient ruins, or medieval castles, for example, these are bound to raise interest in tourists. Tap into the location’s unique features and highlight all the interesting local sites for the visitors. Try to create as many attractions as possible to entice travelers.

2. Identify Your Target Visitors

Knowing your target audience will help you create the best marketing strategies. You must also think about all the reasons why people would want to visit the region. Grab a pen and paper and place your target visitors into several categories. UN Tourism data show that leisure trips account for over half of international arrivals, with VFR/other personal travel and business making up most of the remainder. Here are some examples to give you a better idea:

Decide whether the country you’re promoting appeals to a younger generation, pensioners, families, business travelers, students, or couples looking for honeymoon destinations. It may even appeal to thrill seekers or those seeking a peaceful beach holiday. Once you’ve identified your target groups, you can create a marketing strategy that will be most relevant to each group of visitors.

Lastly, consider tapping into the nearby countries’ markets and encouraging their locals to visit your region. This can be done by highlighting the rail network that connects your region with its neighboring countries or the similarity in cultures and languages. The idea is to achieve a good balance in terms of where your target visitors come from, so you become less dependent on domestic tourists.

3. Obtain and Utilize Data to Get to Know Your Visitors

As a DMO, your role is to obtain and utilize all the necessary data about your target audiences. For example, if you have a website, you can use Google Analytics or similar online tools to get to know your visitors better by collecting data on their demographics, backgrounds, interests, and motivations.

According to UN Tourism data, average spending per international trip reached $1,170 in 2024, above the pre-pandemic average of $1,000. This type of data is valuable for planning.

It’s not just online that you can gather information about your visitors. It’s also possible to find out about the average age of the existing visitors, which destinations appeal to them the most, the types of accommodation they use, etc., by doing offline research. Expedia Group’s Path to Purchase research finds that travellers spend more than five hours consuming travel content before they book and that 80 percent visit an online travel agency at some point before any purchase.

Once you’ve collected this data, you can use the results to utilize the best ways to reach out to your visitors by providing them with relevant information about the target country.

4. Focus on Branding

Almost all businesses use branding to make their services or products easily identifiable and distinct from those of other merchants. Branding can include your logo, overall image, color scheme, or messaging. The main goal here is to highlight the unique features of your target country so that it is easily recognizable and stands out from others.

By developing the right techniques that reflect the needs of your target market, you can easily apply them to a destination. For example, you can post an image of the country with a tagline that identifies the exact location and why it’s an amazing place to visit. By creating hashtags for your followers to use on Instagram, you can use your promotional message to familiarise people with the region.

The Anholt–Ipsos Nation Brands Index surveys about 60,000 people in 20 countries each year to track how 60 nations are seen for tourism, culture, people, governance, exports, and investment. For example, Iceland’s “Inspired by Iceland” brand emphasizes natural beauty and adventure. Singapore positions itself as a modern, clean, and efficient city-state. Your brand should communicate your country’s unique personality and values.

5. Seek Partnerships

This strategy is all about looking out for partnerships with organizations with similar interests to yours to build trust and gain new resources. Such partnerships can include hotels, restaurants, tour operators, travel agents, entertainment venues, or even local authorities from your country.

To get started, you’ll need to develop country marketing strategies that convince these parties to provide you with support and participate in your campaign. By discussing your goals and branding ideas with these parties, they can implement your marketing campaigns alongside their own advertising methods and generate visitor interest in the target country.

According to market data, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) captured 53.5% of culinary tourism bookings in 2024. Partnering with OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia gives you access to millions of potential visitors. Singapore Tourism Board’s partnership with Booking.com includes co-branded campaigns and exclusive packages that benefit both parties.

For example, VisitScotland partnered with Skyscanner on a “Scotland is Calling” campaign after COVID-19. The tourism board reported a return on ad spend of more than 1,100 percent, thanks to access to Skyscanner’s active European audience. Good partnerships add reach, data, and trust that you cannot easily buy alone.

6. Create A Compelling Destination Website

There is no denying the convenience of the Internet when researching a particular region before making travel plans. Research from Expedia Group shows that travellers use several online sources when planning, and that around three-quarters use search engines, meta travel websites, and social media for research.

A website specifically focused on the target country is the best way to showcase the biggest attraction sites to your audience. Such a website lets you communicate directly with the curious reader through compelling videos, images, and virtual reality tours.

The website can provide visitors with detailed information about the destination before they plan a trip. Don’t forget to include the best hotel options, attraction sites, where to eat and drink, etc. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly with a blog section that provides engaging and interesting articles about the country you’re promoting.

7. Use SEO Principles

A compelling website about the country you’re promoting is only effective if it ranks high on popular search engines like Google. Think with Google notes that search is the number one channel high-value travellers use when planning.   This is where a comprehensive SEO strategy ensures online visitors can easily find your website.

Search engine optimization involves using powerful keywords, creating content based on those keywords, and using various techniques, such as images and videos, to improve your ranking. As mentioned, an on-site blog is one of the best ways to optimize your website through up-to-date and informative content using relevant keywords. After all, content is king!

8. Engagement Marketing

Engagement marketing is the use of resources to engage people and encourage interactions. Rather than showing a particular attraction to your audience, you can use marketing materials that allow people to experience the destination. This can be done through user-generated content on social media or your website to allow people to share their experiences and thoughts.

A study in the journal Sustainability found that creative, engaging tourist experiences strongly influenced Gen Z travellers’ attitudes and made them more likely to choose sustainable, low-carbon options.

This strategy will help increase the credibility of your target country as it gets promoted through word of mouth without any effort on your part. After all, people tend to trust word of mouth much more than the promotional words of an organization. To go one step further, you can include 360 virtual reality tours of the region to allow users to enjoy a personal experience of the country with a call to action at the end of the video that directs them to your website.

9. Give Visitors an Immersive Experience

Video marketing is an effective technique that helps boost your country’s marketing campaign. Since videos are easily shareable on social media platforms, they can promote the region’s top points of interest or include other travelers’ personal experiences of the country during their visits.

To go even further, virtual reality marketing is another powerful technique that will give your target visitors a more personal experience of the country from their homes. You can include virtual experiences of a hotel or resort, a local restaurant, or virtual tours of the main landmarks of the region – the possibilities are endless!

10. Use Social Media to Promote Your Country

Using Social media to reach online users and promote your country is one of the best ways to get your message across. For example, you can use promotional posts, videos, and even contests to raise interest on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. For example, you can create a hashtag for your country, market it on Instagram, and share images that sell the region. All this can be done at no cost to you.

These platforms also offer paid marketing opportunities, such as sponsored ads, to help increase visibility. The biggest advantage of social media is that it lets you target people based on their location, age, or demographics to promote your country.

A Skift report on Gen Z and Millennial travel habits found that 57% of these travellers rely on social media for travel inspiration. At the same time, Statista shows that around two-thirds of the world’s population now uses social media, so your potential audience is huge.

A study on Cape Verde tourism found that social media use had a direct positive influence on tourists’ destination choices. You can also run paid ads targeted by country, age, language, or interests, sending people straight to hotel offers or official trip-planning pages.

Example: USA Country Marketing

11. Attract Influencers

Another effective and indirect marketing strategy is using influencers to promote your country. These influencers can be celebrities, vloggers, bloggers, or anyone with many followers on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or their own blog. The idea is to build trust through influencers with an engaged audience.

Remember that the number of followers shouldn’t be the most important factor in choosing influencers to promote your country. You’ll usually gain better results if you partner with niche influencers. While it may sound easier said than done, finding an influencer will take a little effort. You can, for example, offer them free accommodation in exchange for a promotional blog post or video about your country.

One study on “The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions” found that trust in influencers is a key link between influencer content and travel choices. The European Travel Commission’s program of 18 influencer-led journeys across 29 countries generated over 105 million social impressions, showing how coordinated content can scale a continental brand.

Invite carefully chosen influencers, give them meaningful itineraries and time to explore, and encourage honest, story-rich content instead of scripted ads.

12. Promote On Popular Travel Websites

Aside from creating your own website to promote your target country, you should also reach out to your audience through other trusted and reputable travel websites like TripAdvisor.

You can, for example, include images, stories, or videos on those websites and monitor visitor reviews of the country. Just make sure you respond to any visitor comments, regardless of whether they are positive or negative about your target country. Research reported by Travel Weekly, based on Expedia Group data, shows that about 80 percent of travellers who booked online used an online travel agency in the 45 days before their purchase.

A study in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services found that information quality, convenience, and value for money strongly influence people’s intention to book through OTAs. Make sure your country pages, city guides, and hotel listings are complete, visual, and actively managed with friendly replies to reviews.

13. Explore Various Online Advertising Methods

You should have gathered all the relevant data about your target audience by now. With this information, you can use the right platforms and display advertising to promote the region to your target audience through your own website and third-party websites.

Most DMOs find PPC advertising an effective method to use. There is also Google Adwords, where you can place your ads within your target users’ searches, such as “Book a trip to Finland.” Paid search caters to a specific market, resulting in higher conversion leads than many other advertising methods. Remarketing is another great technique to reach out to those who are already interested in your website.

Think with Google notes that travellers jump between Search, YouTube, and other Google products before deciding, so a mix of formats works best. One case study shows this clearly. The travel brand OYO used AI-powered campaigns and achieved 50% higher return on ad spend and 25% lower cost per acquisition when promoting hotels. With around two-thirds of travel bookings now made online, smart digital ads are a core tool for both destinations and hotels.

14. Create Offline Marketing Strategies

Now that you know your target market, you must determine when they will likely travel to your country. For example, a country like Finland may be best visited in the winter to see the Northern Lights, while Cyprus is more attractive in the summer months.

With this information in mind, you can create an offline marketing strategy most suitable for the target country. Newspaper, radio, TV ads, or national or local travel exhibitions are paid offline advertising methods that you can use to feature your country in areas where your target visitors are based.

Business events are powerful, too. The Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics estimate that the global business events sector generates about US$1.6 trillion in economic activity and involves around 1.6 billion participants worldwide, so being visible at trade shows can strongly support hotel demand.

Even in a digital world, people still rely on human contact. A UK survey for Jet2holidays found that while social media matters, 62% of people depend on recommendations from friends and family when choosing where to go, showing how important personal advice and face-to-face promotion remain.

15. Position the Country as a Sustainable and Regenerative Destination

Sustainable tourism is now a core part of country marketing. More travellers say it matters. The Sustainable Travel Report from Booking.com finds 83% of travellers say sustainable travel is important, and 75% want to travel more sustainably in the next 12 months. This makes sustainability a mainstream demand, not a niche idea. The market is huge and growing fast, with sustainable and eco-tourism worth trillions of dollars in the next decade.

Countries that take this seriously already see results. Slovenia’s national Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism uses a unified “Slovenia Green” label for destinations, hotels, and tour operators, tying the country brand directly to verified sustainability performance.

For hotels, sustainability can cut energy use, lower costs, and attract guests. Real action matters more than slogans. Certifications from trusted bodies and clear reporting on progress help build trust with travellers who are willing to pay more for responsible stays.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stresses that:

“Sustainability must no longer be a niche part of tourism but the new norm.”

Country Marketing - Create Offline Marketing Strategies

16. Make Travel Seamless with Smart Visas, Biometrics, and Digital Borders

Visa rules and border checks are now a key part of a country’s tourism image. UN Tourism’s Visa Openness report shows progress: people needing a traditional visa fell from 77% in 2008 to 47% in 2023. Visa-free access rose from 17% to 21%, visa-on-arrival from 6% to 14%, and around 18% can now use e-visas. Countries that make entry easier gain more flights, tours, and hotel demand.

Airports and airlines are also using biometrics. IATA’s One ID program aims to let travellers use one digital identity for the whole journey, cutting queues and repeated checks. UN Tourism says faster, simpler visa and border processes lift visitor satisfaction. For hotels, this means more predictable arrivals, smoother check-ins, and a strong message for MICE planners.

17. Use AI-Powered, Omnichannel Campaigns with First-Party Data

AI is quickly becoming part of how people plan trips. ABTA’s Holiday Habits research says 43% of UK travellers feel confident letting AI plan their holiday, and 38% would let it book for them. A Guardian survey reported that 18% of UK adults aged 25–34 already use tools like ChatGPT for holiday planning.

At the same time, 71% of consumers expect personalized experiences, and 76% feel frustrated when they do not get them, according to McKinsey. This means NTOs and hotel groups should connect their own first-party data with hotel systems, airline loyalty data, and OTA insights to build clear visitor profiles.

On the media side, Google’s Performance Max for Travel Goals has shown about 18% more conversions, and some hotel advertisers see conversion rates more than three times higher with AI-optimized campaigns.

By pooling first-party data at the country level and then activating it through such AI-driven, multi-channel campaigns, destinations can push highly relevant creative to the right high-value travellers, driving both direct bookings to hotels and overall visitor spend.

Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, puts it:

“In the dynamic landscape of travel, artificial intelligence (AI) stands as a beacon of transformation, reshaping our journey from the moment we decide to explore the world.”

18. Build Strong Co-Op Marketing with Airlines, Hotel Groups, and OTAs

Strategic partnerships with airlines, hotel groups, and OTAs are now a key part of country marketing. OTAs handle about 53.5 percent of bookings, so they are often the first place travellers see a destination. Platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com, and regional sites act as both search engines and booking tools. Working with them is no longer just about listing hotels.

Many tourism boards now run co-branded campaigns, special offers, and shared-data projects together with OTAs. A good example is Emirates’ MoUs with seven tourism boards (Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Seychelles, Bahamas, Warsaw, and Nigeria) for joint campaigns and fam trips. Sri Lanka welcomed just over 2 million visitors in 2024, with more than 240,000 flying on Emirates. Morocco’s agreement supports its plan to reach 17.5 million visitors by 2026.

For hotel groups, these co-op programs mean access to subsidised media, new air routes, and a steady flow of pre-qualified demand into key gateways and resort regions.

19. Attract Digital Nomads, Remote Workers, and Long-Stay Travelers

Digital nomads and long-stay workers are now a serious country-marketing segment, not a side trend. The MBO Partners report says 18.1 million Americans now describe themselves as digital nomads. A World Economic Forum scenario paper notes that digital-nomad visas in 34 countries attract around 4.2 million remote workers annually, while at least 21 specific visas now exist.

Many countries have responded with special nomad or long-stay visas, simpler tax rules, and clear information for remote workers and their families. Places like Estonia, the UAE, and New Zealand promote safety, good internet, and lifestyle as key selling points.

Staying patterns are changing too. Airbnb reports that stays of 28 nights or more make up about 17–18% of its bookings, so long stays are now normal. Hotels and serviced apartments can win this market with co-working spaces, kitchenettes, laundry, and flexible housekeeping, promoted as “live and work” packages in national and city campaigns.

20. Manage Overtourism with Regional Dispersion and Shoulder-Season Marketing

Country marketing in 2026 is not just about growth. It is about where and when that growth lands. Managing overtourism is not just about limiting numbers. It is about spreading visitors across places and seasons. UNWTO’s work on overtourism stresses that pressure is often local and that listening to residents and creating new routes and times to visit are essential.

Start by mapping your hotspots and pain points: which districts, months, and times of day are under the most pressure? Then identify quieter regions, rural areas, and off-peak seasons that can welcome more guests. Work with hotels, tour operators, and transport providers to build themed itineraries that link famous sights with lesser-known places, especially in shoulder seasons.

Tourism boards are already using campaigns plus product development to push dispersal. For example, Tourism New Zealand’s “Do Something Autumn” shoulder-season campaign drove 468,140 paid visits to NewZealand.com, a 13.5% engaged user rate, 128,838 referrals to operators, and 14,249 new email sign-ups, outperforming previous shoulder campaigns.

Tourism Trends: Opportunities for The Tourism Industry

The tourism industry is constantly evolving, from trends driven by customers and their desire for unique experiences to ones driven by the tourism industry itself through the adoption of new technologies. Tourism professionals need to keep their finger on the pulse and embrace modern elements that capture more customers. Adopting the latest trends early on is vital, from new technologies and destinations to new marketing methods.

The article, “Tourism Trends: Opportunities for the Tourism Industry,” provides insight into the top emerging tourism trends to watch now and in the future.

Technology Trends Emerging in the Travel & Tourism Industry

Technology is growing rapidly with the help of virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Businesses in the travel and tourism industry have recognized the value of AI for maximizing functionality. From online bookings to customer communication, there is no denying the importance of technology in the travel and tourism industry. As customer behavior and expectations change over time, different technologies help businesses offer a more immersive experience and enhance their customer service.

In the following article, “Key Technology Trends Emerging in the Travel & Tourism Industry,” you will learn the most important tech trends in the travel and tourism sector.

Country Marketing FAQs

A country’s culture, nature, and history are all applicable to marketing. Targeted campaigns and direct work with individual influencers or travel-oriented businesses can help to promote those elements to the public.

Make sure people know about the unique opportunities and culture through tourism packages and an online presence. Social media, reviews, and work with travel expos can also grow awareness of a country as a vacation destination.

Wine-related tourism is an ideal example, as it highlights how multiple towns in a wine region can come together to promote their shared elements. People coming for tours of vineyards, wine tastings, and even dining will usually spread out to enjoy the entire region.

Yes, as the county can be marketed as a whole. The tourist attractions, underlying infrastructure, and services of a country are shared resources for tourism as a whole and the tourism market.

 By fostering cultural exchange with a global audience, the country can enhance how it’s perceived by the world. The resulting economic growth also helps to improve local conditions, which furthers global perception as a tourist destination.

You can use the above strategies to adopt multiple approaches in driving tourist traffic to your target region. As a DMO, it’s a good practice to focus on one strategy at a time and embrace the recommended marketing trends to ensure success.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.