Visa International and Turismo Torino today announced a three-year global alliance to promote Torino worldwide as a key travel destination and showcase Visa’s sponsorship of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. Visa also will be the Preferred Card of Turismo Torino as a result of this alliance which will run through December 2006.
As a worldwide Olympic Sponsor, Visa will be the exclusive payment card and the official payment system of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. Visa’s Olympic marketing programs are designed to generate excitement for the Olympic Games, incremental business for Visa members worldwide and increased revenue for the host cities.
In the next three years, Visa and Turismo Torino will work together to create unique programs to benefit the city’s merchant community, the local travel industry and Visa’s member financial institutions worldwide. As a result of this strategic alliance, special advertising and marketing programs will be developed jointly to stimulate both inbound and outbound travel and to promote Torino and its surrounding areas as a key travel destinations. Additionally, Visa’s member and merchant Olympic marketing programs using advertising, direct mail, cardholder communications and Olympic promotions will promote Torino around the world.
‘As the world’s leading payment card and a global Olympic sponsor, Visa is in a unique position to assist Torino in building tourism and local business revenues as the Olympic Winter Games approach,’ said Tom Shepard, executive vice president, Global Marketing Partnerships and Sponsorship, Visa International. ‘We are extremely excited at the prospect of working with the Turismo Torino to invite the world audience to visit Torino and its beautiful countryside.’
Turismo Torino’s Chairman, Livio Besso Cordero, added, ‘Our partnership with Visa International is based on their experience at the Olympic Games and will surely bring great promotional benefits to Torino. It is a splendid opportunity to enhance Torino’s visibility, promote tourism development and increase business opportunities for our operators. Not to mention the fact that we are flattered to have been chosen as partners by Visa, a company that is renowned the world over for their professional attitude and commitment. It is extremely rewarding for Turismo Torino and all our staff.’
Torino will be included in Visa’s Merchant Olympic marketing programs using advertising, direct mail, and other promotional materials aimed at Visa’s members in more than 50 countries. Torino also will become the first Italian destination promoted on Visa’s premier online website, www.visadestinations.com
As the preferred card of Turismo Torino, special programs and assistance will be provided to Visa cardholders through jointly developed tourism offers and packages. Such offers may be included in Visa’s member program ‘The World’s Best Offers,’ as well as in special programs created for Visa’s Signature and Infinite card clients all over the world. Specific marketing and promotion programs will be created to support merchants in Torino and its metropolitan area, in addition to training courses and seminars in preparation for the Olympic Winter Games in Torino in 2006.
‘Visa has been one of the premier sponsors with the ability to leverage the Olympic Games to the benefit of its members, cardholders, Olympic athletes and spectators all over the world,’ noted Shepard. ‘Our partnership with the Turismo Torino will provide additional value to our constituencies and will ultimately enhance the Olympic Games experience for all who visit Italy.’
In Sydney, more than 550 Visa member financial institutions participated in marketing programs designed to build tourism and business in Australia. As a result of these programs, Visa generated more than US$40 million in marketing value for Australia over four years In Salt Lake City, over 400 members worldwide, representing 80 percent of Visa’s US$2 trillion in annual transaction volume, ran Olympic marketing programs. During the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City and the surrounding counties saw sales on Visa payment cards increase 30% over the same period in 2001.
For more details contact:
Michael Sherman, Visa International Tel. + 1 650 432 3923 at globalmedia@visa.com