February 20, 2014

 

Governments may be considered fuddy-duddies, but Israel’s Tourism Ministry is busting that label with its cutting-edge interactive video of Israel.

The “choose-your-own-adventure” production offers users 33 viewing options and 72 touring itineraries around the country.

“This video represents a significant step in the overall program to reach wide and diverse audiences around the world. Israel has everything the tourist could ask for, and our task is to illustrate this in the best way possible,” Tourism Minister Uzi Landau said at IMTM 2014, the annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market conference, which took place in Tel Aviv in early February.

The Tourism Ministry turned to Interlude, the Israeli company that made headlines in November 2013 for its clip of Bob Dylan’s song “Like a Rolling Stone.” Among praise heaped upon the blue-and-white company, TIME magazine ranked Interlude’s production first in its listing of best clips for 2013.

Here’s something to consider: 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. So, videographers vying for viewers are constantly trying to bring in audiences with the next coolest technique. At the moment, the hip platform is interactive video.

As such, the Tourism Ministry invested $195,000 in the video it hopes will advance incoming tourism to new record levels.  

Viewers choose the virtual tour they wish to take, in keeping with personal interests and tastes.

Three characters lead viewers through the video: a tour guide specializing in religion, history and culture; a young woman focusing on lifestyle; and a young man interested in adventure.

“The interactive video encourages personal engagement and heightens interest in the content,” a Tourism Ministry statement reads.

Following a year of record tourism levels, the latest video clip only reiterates Israel’s pull as an attractive and contemporary tourism destination. (https://www.israel21c.org/news/record-number-of-tourists-to-israel/)/.

Watch the video here: http://www.goisrael.com/InTourIL

 

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