Destination BrandWatch (US): Nevada in search of a new brand - Orlando Tourism is getting a new name - New York expands on social media & Michigan.org tops the list with the most popular state websites

What’s in a brand? Nevada in search of an effective hook

How do you capture the essence of Nevada in a brand? That’s a task the Nevada Tourism Commission will assign to a brand development vendor when it drafts a request for proposals over the next couple of months. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has gone though the same process in developing what arguably is the most successful destination branding scheme ever conceived. Love it or hate it, “What happens here, stays here” is uniquely Las Vegas and the ad campaign that accompanied the effort to brand the city as a place to engage in adult freedom is something that people have talked about, mimicked, ripped off and recycled for years. Read the full article at: http://www.lasvegassun.com

Orlando Tourism: New Name, New Campaign

The organization responsible for attracting visitors to Orlando, Florida is undergoing big changes, including a new campaign and a makeover of its own. In December, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau – commonly referred to as the Orlando CVB – officiallychanged its name to Visit Orlando.  According to Visit Orlando president and CEO Gary Sain, the new name better reflects the organizations “commitment to bringing visitors from around the world to Orlando andOrange County. It is simple, concise, user friendly and more hospitable.” Surprisingly, one of the strongest tourist markets in the country is a little behind the  name-change trend among destination marketing organizations. Read the full article at: http://connect.phocuswright.com

New York Tourism Expands Social Media Promotions

I LOVE NEW YORK is bringing the promotion of state tourism to a variety of social media networks, including Facebook and Twitter. Most recently, I LOVE NEW YORK released its new social media initiative on Facebook. Travelers from around the world will now be able to post and share their New York experience with other users. By using user-generated content, I LOVE NEW YORK creates an experience meant to be tailored to the needs of future potential travelers.

All that is needed to join Team I LOVE NY is a Facebook account. Simply visit www.facebook.com/iloveny. There, select team members’ ideas and suggestions that are posted on I LOVE NEW YORK’s Facebook Wall are collected and displayed on www.iloveny.com. Suggestions will also be included in various travel and tourism publications produced throughout the year, including the 2011 I LOVE NEW YORK Travel Guide. Source: http://www.travelagentcentral.com

LANSING, MI--(Marketwire - January 6, 2011) - For the fourth consecutive year michigan.org, the state of Michigan's official travel and tourism Web site, has earned the title as the most popular state tourism Web site in America. According to reporting from an independent online measurement company, michigan.org received more visits than any other state tourism Web site in 2010. "The Pure Michigan campaign has been the driving creative force to attract visitors to michigan.org, where we provide information on more than 12,000 Michigan tourism attractions, events, hotels, resorts and restaurants," said George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan, a business unit of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "Consumers are responding to our award-winning campaign and social media efforts by seeking Michigan tourism information at michigan.org." "The October launch of the official Pure Michigan merchandise, available exclusively through michigan.org, also contributed to the rise in site traffic," Zimmermann added. Web surfers turned to the site 13,354,331 times during 2010, an increase of 18.9% over 2009. Consumers used the site an average of 37,724 times per day throughout the year. In addition, click-throughs from the site to Michigan tourism industry Web sites also set a new record, an average 18,287 per day, a total of 6,674,810 during the year. Pure Michigan's social media efforts are also setting records. The number of fans of the Pure Michigan Facebook page increased from 24,265 at the beginning of 2010 to 184,911 at the end of the year, a 662% increase. The official state travel and tourism site, michigan.org, continues to be a source for Michigan travel information and is just one component of the Pure Michigan online marketing and social media strategy. Internet users are staying up-to-date on the latest events and tourism news by joining the Pure Michigan Fan Page on Facebook or following @PureMichigan on Twitter. Web visitors can also get the inside scoop provided on the Pure Michigan Connect blog, comment on blog posts or submit a travel story as a guest blogger. In addition, visitors can upload their Pure Michigan photos to the Pure Michigan Photostream on Flickr, or watch the Pure Michigan commercials on YouTube and michigan.org. Michigan's tourism industry is a vital component of the economy. Visitors to the state spend $15.1 billion annually traveling in Michigan, generating $850 million in state taxes and supporting 142,500 jobs for Michigan residents. Travel Michigan, a division of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, is the State of Michigan's official agency for the promotion of tourism. Travel Michigan markets the state's tourism industry and provides valuable visitor information services. For Michigan travel news and updates, go to michigan.org.