Q&A - RFP Development and execution of a promotional campaign involving US tour operators and focusing on sustainable travel in The Nordics - ETC Corporate

As mentioned in the RFP, “The chosen tour operators are required to deliver outputs and meet established KPIs in their activities with a value that equals twice the contribution made by the contractor.” Do tour operators need to invest themselves in this campaign? Must the tour operator cost-share or match? To whom would the tour operator cost-share?

The tour operator is expected to match the contribution made by the contractor. For example, if the tour operator will deliver outputs and reach KPIs in value of USD 50,000, the contractor’s financial contribution should account for a maximum of half of that value. The tour operator must adequately justify and provide proof of the value of their contribution.

Following up on the answer above, “if the chosen Tour Operator makes sales through the campaign of say 10K, then the campaign created by the contractor, may not cost more than 5K? Or does the Tour Operator have to invest double in the campaign?”

The clarity of the answer is enhanced by the following example: A contractor decides that the overall campaign budget can cover two paid campaigns with tour operators, including any agency fees. The contractor contacts various tour operators and selects two that are most relevant. Suppose a contribution of USD 25,000 is made to each tour operator. In return, each tour operator either jointly funds USD 25,000 for use in paid media or contributes the same amount in marketing in-kind. This could include emails, banners, webinars, and other activities, each adding value equivalent to USD 25,000 on top of the initial contribution, bringing the total value of each campaign to USD 50,000.

The matching does not pertain to sales.

The campaign is scheduled to run "for the entire duration of 2024," but the preparation of materials and obtaining consent from all involved parties will require time. When is the campaign actually expected to start, and how long shall it effectively run? Can the campaign run into 2025 in case that preparation and obtaining consent from all involved parties necessitates a delayed start date?

The campaign cannot run in 2025. As mentioned in section 3.7 of the RFP, the implementation period of the project shall not extend beyond 31 December 2024. In 5. Submission of proposals, section 4 “Timeline”, it is stated that the contractor should not foresee any activities implemented before 10 June 2024. The contractor should propose appropriate activities for the campaign, starting no earlier than 10 June and continuing through 2024, while effectively utilising the allocated budget. ETC and its partners will ensure to provide the necessary feedback during the campaign period to get any collateral ready for launch.

Sections 3.3.1, 3.3.2, and 3.3.3 list possible activities from which the contractor can choose; each activity has a specified KPI. First, is it correct that if one activity is chosen, the mentioned KPIs are the minimum to be achieved in this activity? Can these also be exceeded? Second, what are the minimum KPIs for the total campaign?

It is correct that for a chosen activity, the numbers mentioned for the KPIs are the minimum to be achieved in the specific activity. The minimum expected results part of the RFP can be exceeded. The KPIs and minimum results apply to each individual activity within the proposal, rather than to the overall campaign.

The RFP also includes developing a landing page. Is a corporate identity intended to be developed? Can the landing page be reused? Who will coordinate between the different promotional campaigns part of the broader Reboot Nordic Tourism Project?

A corporate identity is not intended to be developed. Nevertheless, the contractor is expected to include “The Nordics” logo, The “VisitEurope-visiteurope.com” logo, and the “Co-funded by the European Union” logo on the landing page.

It is foreseen that there will be multiple landing pages for the different campaigns part of the broader Reboot Nordic Tourism Project – each of which belongs to the campaign in which they are used.

The European Travel Commission and the consortium composed of VisitDenmark, VisitFinland, VisitSweden, Innovation Norway, and VisitIcelanad will coordinate the different promotional campaigns part of the same Reboot Nordic Tourism Project.

Q&A – RFP Development and execution of a promotional campaign involving US tour operators and focusing on sustainable travel in The Nordics

Following up on the answer above, “if the chosen Tour Operator makes sales through the campaign of say 10K, then the campaign created by the contractor, may not cost more than 5K? Or does the Tour Operator have to invest double in the campaign?”

The RFP also includes developing a landing page. Is a corporate identity intended to be developed? Can the landing page be reused? Who will coordinate between the different promotional campaigns part of the broader Reboot Nordic Tourism Project?