« Good morning! My name is Emma and I’m a traveling influencer! »
The German National Tourist Office recently announced the closure of its Toronto office on December 31 (6 closures worldwide). And a few days later, the German authorities announced the hiring of this influencer.
In a message sent on the Internet, Emma continues:
« I live in Berlin and work as a freelancer in online marketing, which gives me the flexibility to pursue my great passion: travel.
“I share this passion on my Instagram account @EmmaTravelsGermany. There I take you on exciting journeys of discovery through the most beautiful corners of Germany.
« I will show you the many facets of this country and provide you with the best travel tips.
« Follow me on Instagram for more inspiration and valuable tips for your next trip to Germany or send me a message!
« I can’t wait to explore Germany with you!
« Kind regards, Emma »
Emma speaks German, of course, but also French, English and Spanish.
Phew!
A big step in Germany’s turnaround
Let’s go back for a moment to the announcement of the closure of the Toronto office of the ONAT, in reaction to which Open Jaw Quebec contacted the German authorities to hope to understand what explains this closure.
Our desire to understand came from the fact that Germany, for years, has been applauding with loud press releases that the country is in the top 4 of the most popular European destinations, and that Canada is breaking its visitor records in Germany.
Hence our astonishment to see the closure of ONAT in Toronto.
We submitted our questions to the authorities, but they refused to answer them.
The rest of the story: we learn of Emma’s hiring.
For the record, Emma is a self-proclaimed influencer and comes from Artificial Intelligence. A process. Superb!, but process.
And ONAT is banking on Emma.
But should we be surprised?
Because those who have followed developments at the German National Tourist Office have certainly picked up on their ever-growing penchant for technology and caught this recurring mention in their communications:
« When it comes to using immersive technologies (virtual, augmented and mixed reality), voice assistants and other conversational interfaces, as well as Artificial Intelligence applications such as chatbots, ONAT is a pioneer. »
Here we are. And her name is Emma.
Now, the question that kills: will Emma close one by one the German tourist offices still open around the world?
