HMTG advertises in the air and by rail (07.11.2014)

Whether by plane or train, travelers will soon find it hard to miss Hannover! Starting next week, all 17 aircraft operated by Iberia Express will carry Hannover promotional brochures in Spanish for one month. This collaboration marks the launch of the new direct route between Hannover and Madrid: Starting immediately, Iberia Express will fly three times a week from the Spanish capital to Hannover and back.

The 16-page brochure provides an overview of the diverse recreational opportunities in the vacation region and the “9 Cities in Lower Saxony,” offers travel tips, and provides information on the region as a hub for business, science, and healthcare, as well as its status as a trade show and convention destination. It is not only available on flights between Madrid and Hanover but is also distributed throughout Iberia Express’s entire route network, for example on flights to Amsterdam, Dublin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, or the Canary Islands.

In addition, HMTG is distributing the magazine—featuring a view of Herrenhausen Palace on the cover—in Madrid with a total print run of approximately 150,000 copies. On November 21 and 22, it will be included as a supplement with *El País*, one of Spain’s largest daily newspapers, and *ABC*, another leading Spanish daily.

“Due to the economic crisis in Spain, visitor numbers have been declining in recent years. With our promotional campaign, we hope to counter this trend and inspire people to visit the Hanover region and the ‘9 Cities,’” explains Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of HMTG and spokesperson for the city partnership “die_9 Städte in Niedersachsen.” 

“Thanks to the new direct flight to Madrid—and thus the connection to the Iberia Group’s network, which includes numerous destinations in Spain and Latin America—Hanover will become an even more attractive gateway to northern Germany for many travelers,” adds airport CEO Dr. Raoul Hille. “Thanks to its central location and extensive route network, Hannover Airport is the top choice for all travelers visiting northern Germany, whether for business or leisure. Short distances and a comprehensive range of services ensure that they can begin their journey to the region in a completely relaxed manner. With HMTG’s advertising campaign, we can show international visitors just how much Hannover, the trade fair city, has to offer.”

Through follow-up partnerships, Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH and Hannover Airport aim to continue promoting Hannover internationally in additional markets: For example, there are plans to distribute brochures on Aeroflot flights, which offer daily direct flights between Moscow and Hannover. 

“Hanover is a hub for travelers in Europe—both Hanover Airport, with its extensive range of services, and the central train station play a significant role in ensuring that the state capital can hold its own against international competition as a trade fair and convention destination in the heart of Europe. We use these key locations to convey our promotional messages throughout Germany and across Europe,” explains Nolte.

Advertising campaign on Deutsche Bahn's ICE trains

In November, HMTG will also launch an advertising campaign on Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains: For one year, approximately 70 ICE trains will feature around 2,000 advertising spaces—including so-called “Train-Light” posters (backlit, large-format advertising spaces)—highlighting the themes “Trade Fair and Convention Destination,” “Business Hub,” “Center of Science,” “Healthcare Industry,” “Diverse Cultural Offerings,” and “Green Metropolis | Quality of Life and Housing” for one year. The goal of the photo collages is to illustrate Hannover’s diversity and highlight its appeal as an “Ideal City/Region” and “Space for Innovation.” Up to 23 million passengers can be reached annually through this location-based advertising.

“Hanover has everything that makes a vibrant metropolis: a diverse cultural scene, countless event highlights, a lively neighborhood culture, and great nightlife and shopping options. At the same time, Hanover is particularly green, a city where everything is within easy reach—and a wonderful place to live. Thanks to an excellent public transit system, the 21 municipalities in the Hannover region are well-connected—and opportunities for recreation and leisure are close at hand. In addition, Hannover is a trade fair and convention city with international flair, a business hub and headquarters for numerous global corporations, a center for research and science, and particularly strong in the healthcare industry. Our advertising conveys all of this,” Nolte summarizes.

On the road across Europe all year round: “die_9 Cities in Lower Saxony” With its current promotional campaigns in other European countries, HMTG is building on the marketing activities of the “die_9 Cities in Lower Saxony” city partnership. The member cities—Braunschweig, Celle, Göttingen, Goslar, Hameln, Hannover, Hildesheim, Lüneburg, and Wolfenbüttel—are promoting themselves together with the Autostadt in Wolfsburg in neighboring European countries. In addition to attending travel fairs and trade shows, the activities focus on collaboration with tour operators, ferry lines, airlines, and travel journalists. By linking various attractive destinations, the goal is to encourage international visitors to take a city break in Lower Saxony.

At www.visit-hannover.com/ice, interested visitors can find all five poster designs as well as additional information on the various topics.

Spanish visitors can find an overview of Hannover’s diversity as well as the Hannover supplement at www.hannover.de/es. Information in 18 languages for all visitors to Hannover is available at www.visit-hannover.com.

The campaign images from the ICE trains are available for download here.
The full press release, general images of Hanover, and additional press materials can be downloaded at www.hannover.de/presse_hmtg.