If you have a young child at home, you’ve likely been subjected to at least one viewing of Disney’s latest blockbuster ‘Frozen.’ Since its debut in November of last year, it’s been lauded as one of the best animated films in history, breaking records left and right and even taking home an Oscar. And with parents willingly spending upwards of $200 for a costume “Elsa dress,” it seems that it’s not just the kids who have ‘Frozen’ fever.
Beyond the Disney Store and talented crafters on Etsy, another benefactor has emerged as a result of the film’s success: Norway. The exquisitely beautiful Norwegian landscape was the inspiration for Frozen‘s fictional kingdom of Arendelle, and has since generated a staggering spike in movie-themed travel experiences. According to VisitNorway.com, guided tour providers have reported sales increases of 20 to 40 percent over last year, and the first quarter of 2014 saw a 57 percent increase in flights to Oslo from New York.
A coordinated campaign linking the film’s roots to Norwegian tourism was the launchpad for this success. Together with Disney, VisitNorway launched a campaign in October 2013 to promote travel to the country, including a dedicated Frozen-themed section on their website. Yet despite the campaign’s close in May of 2014, interest in Norwegian travel continues to hold steady. Pretty impressive for a region that regularly ranks #1 in the world’s most expensive places to travel.
Perhaps inspired by the success in Norway, Disney has created a new movie-themed travel experience, this time in New Orleans. The vibrant city was the backdrop for Disney’s 2009 The Princess and the Frog and will now play host to families looking to experience the region first-hand. Now through August, families can enter a sweepstakes to win trips to New Orleans, a promotion organized by Disney and the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation as a part of their current “Follow Your NOLA” campaign. (See our recent blog on their tourism outreach here.)
The question in this case is, has it been too long since the movie debuted to expect the same results fueled by Disney’s Frozen? With a long list of records broken by the blockbuster, including its soundtrack standing as the top selling music album so far this year, Frozen will likely leave its predecessor in the cold. But the accessibility of New Orleans over pricier Norway could give NOLA an advantage. Number of sweepstakes entries will be a good indicator of the campaign’s success. Regardless of which movie setting comes out on top, when it comes to this new model of movie and tourism promotion, Disney’s not likely to let it go anytime soon.