The idea of snapping faces developed during today’s photowalk around Digbeth, a district just south of Moor Street Station in Birmingham that’s a little bit arty, a little bit gritty and with a whole lot of industrial heritage contained within. Thanks to Matt & Pete’s Photo School for running the two-hour walk – more photowalk events can be found here. A night-time walk is apparently imminent.

Country slogans and tourism taglines – how can they say so very little and yet sometimes so much? I’ve posted my bemusement with these fascinating little one-liners that marketers use to ‘sell’ or position a destination before (after snapping 44 slogans at the 2009 World Travel Market).

This year, I decided it was time for an update. So here, after wandering the vast length and breadth of WTM 2012, are 105 slogans, 26 country logos (or fonts) and 7 regional taglines collected at the World Travel Market 2012. Slideshow above, text below. I’ve bolded up the ones I like. Enjoy!

EUROPE

• Albania – A new Mediterranean love
• Andorra – the Pyrenean country
• Austria – Arrive and revive
• Belarus – Hospitality beyond borders
• South of Belgium (Brussels and Wallonia) – Latin Europe in a nutshell
• Bulgaria – Unique in its diversity
• Croatia – the Mediterranean as it once was
• Cyprus in your heartNorth Cyprus – Timeless beauty – Better than words
• Czech Republic – stunningly different
• Visit Finland (I wish I was in Finland)
• Georgia – for the best moments of your life
• Germany – The travel destination
• Visit Gibraltar
• Gozo – Truly Mediterranean
• Add some orange (Holland)
• Go to Hungary
• Visit Iceland
• Jump into ireland
• Latvia – Best enjoyed slowly
• Lithuania – See it! Feel it! Love it!
• Luxembourg – Discover the unexpected
• Malta – Truly Mediterranean
• Monte Negro – Wild Beauty
• Visit Norway
• Poland – Move your imagination – Come and find your story
• Portugal – Europe’s West Coast
• Romania – explore the Carpathian garden
• Pure Russia
• My Russia – reveal your own Russia
• Scotland welcomes the world
• Slovakia – Little big country
• I feel SLOVEnia
• Espana – I need Spain
• Vist Sweden
• Switzerland. Get natural.
• Turkey Unlimited
• Ukraine, yours to discover

AFRICA

• Cameroon is back
• Egypt – where it all begins
• Ethiopia – the cradle of humankind
• The Gambia – the smiling coast of Africa
• Magical Kenya
• Malawi – the warm heart of Africa
• Mauritius – It’s a pleasure
• Morocco – the country that travels within you
• Nigeria – tourism is life
• The Seychelles Islands – another world
• South Africa – Inspiring new ways
• Sierra Leone… the freedom to explore
• The Kingdom of Swaziland – a royal experience
• Tanzania – the land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and the Serengeti
• Tunisia – there’s more to celebrate
• Uganda – pearl of Africa
• Zambia – let’s explore
• Zimbabwe – A world of wonders

MIDDLE EAST

• Abu Dhabi –And you think you’ve done it all?
• Abu Dhabi – Travellers welcome
• Definitely Dubai
• [Oman – Beauty has an address]
• Qatar – where dreams come to life

INDIA/SOUTH ASIA

• Beautiful Bangladesh
• Bhutan – Land of Gross National Happiness
• Incredible !ndia
• Maldives… the sunny side of life
• Naturally Nepal – Once is not enough
• Refreshingly Sri Lanka – Wonder of Asia

ASIA

• Cambodia – kingdom of wonder
• China Tourism
• Hong Kong –Asia’s World City (city!)
• Wonderful Indonesia
• Japan – endless discovery
• Kazakhstan – the land of wonders
• Kyrgyzstan – oasis on the Great Silk Road
• Korea – be inspired
• Malaysia – truly Asia
• Discover Mongolia
• It’s more fun in the Philippines
• Taiwan – the heart of Asia
• Amazing Thailand – always amazes you
• Vietnam – timeless charm

AUSTRALASIA/OCEANIA

• There’s NOTHING like Australia
• Fiji Me
• 100% pure New Zealand

AMERICAS

• Antigua and Barbuda – The beach is just the beginning…
• Argentina beats to your rhythm
• Bermuda – so much more
• Bolivia awaits you
• Brasil – sensational!
• Canada – keep exploring
• Colombia – the only risk is wanting to stay
• CoColumbia
• Costa Rica – no artificial ingredients
• Autentica Cuba
• Dominica – the nature island
• Dominican Republic has it all
• Ecuador – love life
• Guyana – experience, explore & enjoy
• Honduras – todo esta aqui
• Nicaragua – Unica. Original!
• Paraguay – You have to feel it!
• Peru – Empire of Hidden Treasures
• Puerto Rico does it better
• Trinidad & Tobago – the true Caribbean
• Uruguay natural
• Venezuela is your destination!

LOGOS ONLY

• Armenia (something indecipherable and a ! for the i)
• Azerbaijan (rising star and oil well?
• The islands of the Bahamas (island graphic)
• Kingdom of Bahrain
• Barbados (flying fish?)
• Chile (stars)
• Falkland Islands (penguins)
• France (flag-coloured lady)
• Greece (spots – islands?)
• Holland (tulip)
• Italy (flag stripe)
• Iraq
• Jordan (hieroglyphics?)
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Macau
• Madagascar
• Monaco (winding roads?)
• Mozambique (shell spiral)
• Mexico
• Panama (butterfly?)
• Rwanda
• Saint Lucia (flag-coloured pitons)
• Serbia (heart)
• Tahiti and her islands
• Uzbekistan

REGIONS

• California – find yourself here
• Go Goa – a perfect holiday destination!
• Karnataka – one state, many worlds.
• Kerala’s – God’s own country
• Normandy – Love the land. Live the life.
• Rajasthan – the incredible state of India.
• Valencia region – gives you everything

I only got a short clip of the musicians from India (technical fault caused by human error) but I did manage to get a few more throughout the day. Here’s the list of random acts from WTM 2012:

Folk music and dance from Kazakhstan
Mexico, mariachi and massive hats
Israeli hang drum music at WTM 2012
South Korea inspires with its Gangnam Style robots #wtm2012

And here’s one from WTM 2009 with 8000+ views on YouTube:

Folk music from Uzbekistan

More WTM 2012 music and dance acts: Music and dance from around the World Travel Market

Djembe and hang drum sounding lovely on the Israel stand at the World Travel Market 2012.

More WTM 2012 music and dance acts: Music and dance from around the World Travel Market

One of the things I like about going to World Travel Market is the number of random acts of music, dance and giant ‘It’s a knockout’ style beasties wandering the inter-continental aisles. Here’s what Kazakhstan had going on…

More WTM 2012 music and dance acts: Music and dance from around the World Travel Market

The Prague Crony Tour – to see where the corrupt live: “Inconspicuous nests to divert unwanted attention. Ostentatious dens to intimidate the meek.”
Hospital on the Edge of the Law – “three hospitals notorious for graft and sleaze” and more.
The Prague Best of the Worst – “Monuments of Corruption [that] deserve World Heritage Status”.

Tours last around three hours and cost 27-30 euros.

Visit CorruptTour for more info.

After documenting 100+ tourism marketing slogans yesterday at World Travel Market (WTM) 2012, Bhutan’s is my pick of the bunch.

The catchphrase Gross National Happiness, or GNH, was apparently introduced by the King of Bhutan in the 1980s and it stands out as unique among the ‘wonders’ and ‘pearls’ of other positioning taglines. Perhaps it feels more authentic for its lack of marketing schmooze but it also still manages to tell us something: that this Himalayan kingdom takes its happiness seriously.

In fact, further research reveals Bhutan to be the only country to use GNH as both an economic measure, similar to GDP, and a guiding principle for its move towards modernisation.

It suggests a unique and fascinating place. But, yes, it also made me laugh – successfully upping GNH as it worked its sly slogan side-effects.

I’ll be posting the rest of the WTM 2012 country slogans… at some point soon.

These guys actually dance Gangnam Style…

Pretty cute. All part of Korea’s love affair with robots –  cf robot teachers and prison guards – and possibly the only country at WTM to position itself through its technology. Is this an interesting differentiator for travellers?

And finally, a bonus pic of the author: