The Virovitica-Podravina County is located in the northeastern part of Croatia, including the areas of Slavonia and Podravina. The county is rich in diversity – on the south side, it is bordered by Bilogora, a nature park, and the UNESCO world geopark Papuk and Krndija, whose slopes gradually merge with the Pannonian plain. Biodiversity and impressive nature make it recognizable: the Drava River flows through the northern part of the county as part of the protected UNESCO network of biosphere reserves.
The Tourist Board of the Virovitica-Podravina County contacted SEKUNDE to develop a destination story and a promotional film. Many castles and manor houses have been renovated there and the destination is full of modern interpretation centers, offering visitors a unique travel experience, where they can create the desired memories themselves.
Destination Marketing Goals
- Emphasize the preserved nature and natural diversity of the destination
- Encourage visitors to have an active vacation and to research their surroundings
- Provide interactive experiences in modern interpretation centers
When creating the destination story of Slavonia and Podravina, we started from the beginning, asking ourselves why we travel. This way people can get immersed in the destination film as if they were at the destination itself.
Believing that we travel to discover ourselves, the viewer is immersed in the activities and sights of the destination, which allows them to get to know themselves even better by getting to know something new.
Storytelling in Tourism
A global trend in the tourism industry is to build a business or its segments through stories. In order for our viewers and visitor to be immersed in the story, the story must be hedonistic, but it must also offer a break from everyday reality (escapism), research on tourist experiences using the example of Scandinavian countries (Mossberg) shows. Using storytelling in the preparation of the destination story, we are aware of the main driving forces behind travel.
The destination story of the Tourist Board of Virovitica-Podravina County clearly guides the viewer through the expected departure from everyday life, evoking the experience that we can expect at the destination itself. This experience is emphasized even more by first-person POV, which gives the viewer the opportunity to experience this tourist story more faithfully.
Destination Film – Production Stages
Research – together with the client, we define the experiences we want to present, who the current audience is and to whom they want to convey new messages. The context and environment of the tourist experience is examined, as well as the current image of the destination. The agency independently collects available relevant information that affects storytelling destinations.
Overview of locations – with the collected materials and according to the client’s brief, before the actual creation of the destination story and the start of filming, the potential locations are inspected.
Preparation of the destination story and scenario – together with research and location review, the agency creates a destination story with locations that support the story we want to convey. A story concept and shooting plan with included locations and script are sent to the client for approval.
Filming – according to the approved scenario and shooting plan with the included locations, the actual shooting itself begins. Depending on the duration of the film and the destination story, the filming can take several days or more..
Editing – the last part of the production of the destination film, in which we combine all the steps and create the desired destination film. We record the narrative with the voice actors, add music and sounds, and the destination story gets its final look.
Film Festivals and Awards:
Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival 2023 – Official Selection
International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) 2023 – Finalist
Production: SEKUNDE
Creative director and producer: Martina Miličević
Cameraman: Robin Pretković
Direction and editing: Franko Dujmić
Voice: Hrvojka Begović
Copywriter: Rona Žulj
Actors: Heda Orešić, Mateo Sušin
