Objective

The Spice of Europe – BudapestInfluencer Trip was designed to authentically position Budapest as a must-visit destination for Millennials and Gen Z travelers from Western Europe, the Gulf countries and UAE, and the U.S. Recognizing the evolving landscape of destination marketing, Visit Hungary and PFR Group leveraged influencer partnerships to enhance Budapest’s global appeal and inspire real travel decisions.

With 41% of Millennials and Gen Z travelers relying on influencer content for trip planning, and 37% willing to explore recommended local experiences, this campaign sought to:

• Boost Budapest’s visibility through a large-scale, immersive influencer experience.
• Leverage social proof by engaging top-tier influencers with a combined reach of 155M on Instagram and 176M on TikTok.
• Showcase Budapest’s cultural vibrancy with a curated three-day itinerary, featuring exclusive events, live music experiences, and luxury hospitality.
• Drive real tourism impact by increasing bookings from target markets.

Through this campaign, we transformed Budapest into a trending travel hotspot, reinforcing its identity as a city of culture, entertainment, and modern luxury.

Strategy

To bring Spice of Europe to life, we designed a multi-location 3-day event series on 2024.05.21-24, that blended Budapest’s rich history, culinary excellence, and nightlife scene with world-class influencer marketing.

Execution & Key Features

• Exclusive Influencer Experiences:
  We invited 50 top-tier international influencers to Budapest for a fully immersive, high-end travel experience, complete with:

  • Luxury hospitality: Five-star accommodations, private transfers, and curated culinary adventures at Budapest’s top restaurants.
  • Iconic landmark experiences: Hosted events at Fisherman’s Bastion, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Buda Castle, and the Hungarian State Opera.
  • Exclusive entertainment: Private DJ sets and after-parties featuring global headliners like The Martinez Brothers, Adriatique, and Charlotte de Witte.

• Content Production at Scale:

  • A team of 84 professionals captured real-time content throughout the trip, producing high-quality daily edits.
  • Influencers received optimized social content (videos, photos, stories) within 12 hours, ensuring immediate social media traction.

• Data-Driven Approach & Influencer Selection:

  • We strategically handpicked influencers from 14 key tourism markets, ensuring direct exposure to 60% of Budapest’s core travel audience.
  • Our unique tech-driven management system streamlined influencer contracts, content approvals, payments, and reporting in one platform.

Challenges & Solutions

• Managing Large-Scale Production: Coordinating 50 influencers across multiple locations required seamless logistics. Our dedicated production team ensured smooth transitions between experiences.
• Ensuring Maximum Social Engagement: We optimized influencer output by providing ready-to-post, high-quality content, leading to four times the expected content volume.

We positioned the city as a global travel hotspot by merging authentic influencer storytelling, luxury hospitality, and Budapest’s cultural essence.

Results

The Spice of Europe Budapest Influencer Trip exceeded expectations, generating unprecedented social engagement and direct tourism impact.

Social Media Success:

• 2,100+ influencer posts (exceeding the goal of 500)
• 150M+ reach and 170M+ impressions across all platforms
• 49.5M organic views from just the 500 paid influencer posts

Commercial Impact:

• +41% increase in bookings from the U.S. and +40% from Western Europe, the Gulf countries and the UAE within five days of the campaign
• 100M+ reach from target tourism markets, directly influencing travel decisions

Operational Excellence:

• Advanced campaign management system ensured seamless execution, real-time insights, and ROI tracking.
• Influencers’ authentic content positioned Budapest as a trending travel destination, significantly enhancing its global tourism appeal.

By combining high-impact influencer marketing with curated cultural experiences, we transformed Budapest into a top-choice destination for Gen Z and Millennial travelers worldwide.

Media