Luther 2017 – 500 years since the Reformation in Germany

www.germany.travel
Communiqué de presse
GNTB campaign for 2017
Luther 2017 – 500 years since the Reformation in
Germany
In 2017 the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will be putting the 500th anniversary
of the Reformation at the centre of its global sales and marketing activities. The ‘Luther
2017 – 500 years since the Reformation in Germany’ campaign is the highlight of the
Luther decade. It focuses on Martin Luther as the symbol of the Reformation and as a
brand ambassador for Germany.
As Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the GNTB, explains: “Germany is firmly
established as the number one cultural destination for Europeans. We want to use our
activities for the Luther decade and the Reformation anniversary to add a new dimension
for international travellers with an interest in culture and religion, and to present a modern
image of Germany and consolidate Germany’s position in the international market.”
Long-term approach with strong partners
The legacy of the Reformation touches the lives of over 800 million Protestants all over
the world. Since the start of the Luther decade in 2008, the GNTB has promoted the
upcoming anniversary in key source markets with strong links to the Reformation, such as
the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Hungary, the USA, Canada and also South
Korea. To tie in with the ‘Reformation and Music’ theme, the GNTB highlighted the 800th
anniversary of St. Thomas’ choir in 2012, and to accompany the 2015 theme ‘Reformation
– Image and Bible’, the GNTB launched various initiatives commemorating the 500th
anniversary of the birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger. In running these campaigns, the
GNTB works together with the ‘Luther 2017’ coordinating office, the Evangelical Church in
Germany (EKD), the tourism organisations of the federal states and the main towns and
cities in Germany with historical links to Luther.
Multimedia activities promoting the key Martin Luther themes
Office National Allemand
du Tourisme
8, rue de Milan
75009 Paris
Tél +33 1 40 20 07 46
Fax +33 1 40 20 17 00
[email protected]
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Throughout the Luther decade, the Reformation theme has featured prominently on the
GNTB website http://www.germany.travel. Within the Spiritual Travel section of the
website, there is information on important locations in the reformer’s life, such as the three
official Luther towns of Wittenberg, Eisleben and Mansfeld, the famous Wartburg Castle in
Eisenach and destinations such as Torgau, Schmalkalden, Erfurt, Augsburg, Coburg,
Worms and Heidelberg.
Culturally minded users can retrace important waypoints in Luther’s life in Saxony,
Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, Hessen, Baden-Württemberg and RhinelandPalatinate on a clearly laid out interactive map. In addition, eight Luther routes, available
in 30 languages, highlight important places in the reformer’s life.
Central marketing measures for worldwide communication
The GNTB is using the full spectrum of marketing communication methods to run the
campaign. For example, it has teamed up with Nuremberg Tourist Information and
Playmobil to design a miniature Luther figure, which is being used as a giveaway and as
an eye-catching mascot for numerous other marketing campaigns. This figure is featured
in an animated film that presents tourism-related facts about Luther in an easy-tounderstand format. In six 360° videos, the Playmobil Luther figure presents selected
places from his life as sites of historical interest and as tourist destinations.
As well as press highlight tours with journalists from traditional media, blogger and
influencer trips will focus on unusual places on the Luther routes and lead to them being
promoted on all the relevant social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube and Snapchat.
Activities in key markets
In defined key markets, the GNTB is raising awareness for the campaign by running
market-specific events and initiatives. For example, in the USA, the GNTB highlighted the
Reformation anniversary as part of a major PR and social media campaign: during the
main celebration for the Day of German National Unity at the ambassador’s residence, the
GNTB presented an elaborate digital hologram of Luther in collaboration with Germany
Office National Allemand
du Tourisme
8, rue de Milan
75009 Paris
Tél +33 1 40 20 07 46
Fax +33 1 40 20 17 00
[email protected]
www.germany.travel
Trade & Invest. Other highlights included PR events at the opening of three exhibitions as
part of the ‘Here I stand…’ project in New York, Atlanta and Minneapolis. In Switzerland,
the GNTB launched a whole series of related cross-media activities in partnership with the
well-known TV host and journalist Röbi Koller, who visited various Luther sites in
Germany in 2015. This trip led to a report, a film and a roadshow through Swiss towns
and cities.
Contact presse
Till Palme
Tél. 01 40 20 17 03
[email protected]
L'Office National Allemand du Tourisme
L'Office National Allemand du Tourisme (ONAT), dont le siège se trouve à Francfort-sur-le-Main,
est le « syndicat d'initiative » national de l'Allemagne. Il promeut les activités touristiques de
l'Allemagne pour le compte du ministère fédéral de l’Economie et de l’Energie (BMWi), qui lui
apporte son soutien en vertu d'une décision du Parlement fédéral allemand. L'ONAT élabore et
communique des stratégies et des produits visant à renforcer l'image positive des destinations
touristiques allemandes à l'étranger et à stimuler le tourisme en Allemagne. Pour mener à bien
cette mission, il possède 30 représentations locales dans le monde. Pour plus d'informations,
consultez notre centre de presse en ligne à l'adresse www.germany.travel/presse.
Office National Allemand
du Tourisme
8, rue de Milan
75009 Paris
Tél +33 1 40 20 07 46
Fax +33 1 40 20 17 00
[email protected]