ARMENIA MARRIOTT HOTEL
The eight-year, $42 million restoration of the historic Hotel Armenia was the impetus for a tourism campaign designed to promote travel to this ancient Caucasus land, once part of the Soviet Union. Considered to be the oldest Christian nation, Armenia is rich in history and natural beauty, but a troubled geopolitical past has prevented it from reaching its potential as a travel destination. The Boston-based, American Armenian investor group behind the five-star Armenia Marriott Hotel planned to change that, and selected CM Communications to promote the hotel and spearhead a tourism initiative in conjunction with the Armenian Tourism Development Agency and Marriott International. The centerpiece of the campaign was a press familiarization trip for 30 top-tier American journalists to generate media coverage of Armenia as an undiscovered destination. Recognizing that Armenia’s relative obscurity might hinder attendance, CM Communications secured a strategic partnership with Lufthansa and paired Yerevan with Vienna, a gateway city. By marrying the two cities, the agency enhanced Armenia’s desirability and made the trip doubly productive for journalists. This PR strategy resulted in significant coverage for Armenia and the hotel, including a major feature story distributed through Copley News Service. Additionally, PR efforts yielded coverage in business, real estate and travel trade media to raise awareness for the project among prospective investors.