A cheeky tourism campaign by Lithuania to promote the capital city Vilnius, which hoped to raise more than eyebrows in its quest to entice visitors to the eastern European city seems to have succeeded, at least according to its creators.
Vilnius in the video was marketed as “The G-spot of Europe” in campaign launched in 2018. It actually became the best city promotion campaign at the International Travel and Tourism Awards in London, a year after it was launched as it has reportedly achieved a 12.5% increase in total visitors to the city due to the campaign.
So why is this former Soviet city the continent’s “G-Spot”? According to the local tourism board, Go Vilnius, it’s because “Nobody knows where it is but when you find it — it’s amazing.”
The campaign’s slick official website shows a woman writhing on a sheet printed with a map of Europe, her outstretched hand clutching at the spot that marked Vilnius.
The website urges tourists to “get down to business” and “build your personal pleasure map.”
Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius said the eye-catching slogan was needed because the city wanted to shake of its dowdy image.
” I’m so often told that upon arriving in Lithuania’s capital their first-hand impressions far outweigh their expectations,” he said.
“On the one hand, this assessment is very pleasing to hear, but on the other hand, it indicates that the perception of Vilnius needs to be dramatically improved to match with the reality.”
The raunchy campaign has upset some in the devoutly Catholic country and its official launch was delayed until after an official visit by Pope Francis.
