And the first foreign country to run a tourism ad during the Super Bowl is...
Ecuador?
That's right. Ecuador, a nation of just 15.7 million people, will present its "All You Need is Ecuador" campaign to a massive audience on Super Bowl Sunday in hopes of attracting more American visitors and boosting tourism.
According to Yahoo Travel's Greg Keraghosian, the South American nation is spending $3.8 million on a 30-second spot that will air during the Big Game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 1.
"Advertising during the Super Bowl means we dare to dream big," said Ecuador's Tourism Minister Sandra Naranjo at a recent press conference via Fusion.net's Manuel Rueda.
For perspective, Ecuador's Tourism Ministry spent a total of $5 million on media campaigns in all of 2013.
Showcasing some of the country's spectacular natural attractions to the tune of The Beattles' classic hit "All You Need is Love," the commercial shows travelers enjoying a variety of activities in Ecuador.
Here's a look at one of the "All You Need is Ecuador" campaign ads:
According to Rueda, "tourism officials predict the Super Bowl gamble will pay off in the form of 13,000 more Americans tourists visiting Ecuador this year and a $60 million boost in tourism revenue."
According to ministry statistics, roughly 259,000 Americans traveled to Ecuador in 2014. And Keraghosian points out that the U.S. is Ecuador's second-largest tourist market behind only Colombia.
But if you don't see the ad on Super Sunday, that's because it will only be aired in major cities like Miami, San Francisco and New York, where the tourism ministry hopes to target more upscale travelers.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
