(CNN) — Once they’re good, they’re iconic. Once they’re dangerous — properly, not less than you’ll be able to often snort. We’re speaking vacation spot campaigns — when journey hotspots make a bid to your hard-earned trip money by producing extravagant movies and full web sites to seize your consideration.

So how have they been this yr — the primary yr for the reason that pandemic began with few restrictions for many of us vacationers? With locations determined for post-lockdown money, we have seen exorbitant quantities of cash plowed into getting celebrities on board, capturing the very best footage of the places, and, fortunately, some actual creativeness of how locations need to current themselves.

From the bizarre (Iceland’s typing horses) to the fantastic (South Africa’s emotional reopening), the dangerous (as in evil — Sweden recreated “The Blair Witch Challenge”) to the controversial (David Beckham’s plug for Qatar), listed here are 15 of the movies that caught our consideration this yr.

South Africa: The rebirth

Launched in March, when a lot of the world was nonetheless in lockdown, South Africa’s three-minute video was an excellent tackle how journey might look as issues began opening up post-Omicron — a courageous transfer, for the reason that variant was first noticed in South Africa, and the nation had confronted rapid journey bans from many different (equally virus-filled) locations.

A younger girl wanting bleak in dismal, darkish and wet London, emerges into the sunshine in Cape City — and all the pieces turns technicolor. She goes for the traditional South Africa experiences — a safari and journey to the Drakensberg escarpment, with the nation’s pure magnificence on full show — however the focus is on the human connections that everybody missed throughout lockdown.

She will get a therapeutic massage, huddles with fellow surfers, rides alongside a seashore at sundown and ends the video at a celebration. In different phrases, the dream. “Come as you might be, go away as you may by no means be once more. Stay once more!” ends the video. Chances are you’ll even shed a tear.

Sweden: Scandi horror flick

In it, a vacationing man, Sam, meets an exquisite girl — or is she? She shouldn’t be; she is in truth a huldra, a creepy forest nymph. “What occurred within the forest is one thing you’ll regard as a dream, however that isn’t how it’ll be,” Sweden warns.

The kicker: the brief movie ended by selling “Kiln,” a “chilling audio story” by John Ajvide Indqvist that is solely downloadable “within the Swedish forest.” Actually, the story, not the video is the hub of the Spellbound by Sweden marketing campaign. When you’re over there, you’ll be able to have a pay attention — in case you’re courageous sufficient.

Rwanda: Play with Lionel Messi

Legendary Paris Saint-Germain soccer stars together with Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos headed south to Rwanda for Go to Rwanda’s 2022 marketing campaign, “Tee off your subsequent journey in Rwanda,” which premiered simply earlier than the brand new yr.

Opening with former goalkeeper Jérôme Alonzo enjoying golf throughout his retirement, the 100-second video follows his golf ball because it lands within the Parc des Princes stadium, is kicked about by the gamers, after which batted off to Rwanda, the place it soars over its most spectacular landscapes.

It ends on a golf course with a little bit woman making it a gap in a single — however not earlier than, in fact, some gorillas have made a cameo. An excellent name for this, the yr of the World Cup.

Vilnius: Completely happy birthday to… who?

“No one is aware of the place Vilnius is,” admits this characteristically impressed video from Lithuania’s capital. Earlier campaigns have dubbed the town “the g-spot of Europe” and rewritten a Christmas carol (final yr’s marketing campaign was referred to as “Christmas in Vilnius: Wonderful wherever you assume it’s.”)

Mentioned resolution: a “belated birthday e-card assortment.” The cheeky 80s-style video goes via varied enjoyable playing cards earlier than telling you to ship your individual. Chances are you’ll overlook the date, however the celebration will probably be unforgettable, it ends, calling Vilnius “700 years younger.”

Uganda: Open your eyes

Uganda’s vacationer board kicked off 2022 with a two-minute video showcasing the nation’s magnificence, from snowy mountain peaks to lush forested hills, calm lakes, pounding waterfalls and rivers that seem like they had been made for rafting.

However the focus swiftly turned to its folks — consuming ugali, sitting down with a drink, dancing, and going out in town in Kampala’s nightclubs.

The very best bit? As an alternative of being entrance and heart, animals (together with the classics — a chimp, a gorilla and a giraffe) solely make fleeting cameos. “All we’ve got to do is open our senses and luxuriate in what’s uniquely ours,” says the narrator. It’s going to undoubtedly open your senses to appreciate there’s greater than safari tourism on supply.

Colombia: Literary energy

Colombia Ministry of Tourism

In Spanish and English, it picks out totally different iterations of “heat,” from beekeeper Humberto Narváez’s love of sustainability to Maria Eugenia Clavijo’s prime notch therapy of her lodge company.

“Although we are able to really feel it in each greet, each smile, each welcome and each cup of espresso we share, we wished to grasp it higher. For this reason we went out within the seek for Colombian Heat, and we went straight to its supply: our folks, those that carry it of their hearts,” mentioned the vacationer board, which additionally produced a one-minute video — although the latter is a bit conventional “smiling locals” type for our style.

Philippines: The massive (non) reveal

It is a courageous nation that does not exhibit a single vacation spot in its costly advertising marketing campaign, however that is what the Philippines did with its June video, “The Individuals Make the Vacation spot.”

“To make an advert you will not skip, we skipped the peculiar… the solar, the sand, the actors, the drone pictures, the pop songs, the particular results,” the video declares. They’re all gone in favor of “the individuals who have all the time made our locations extra memorable and extra enjoyable” — in different phrases, the two-minute video exhibits solely folks. Not folks in situ, like Uganda’s advert, however folks carrying one-pieces and doing Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics to kind representations of well-known locations.

The group turns into hills, waterfalls, mountains, an historic constructing, and even a large chook of prey earlier than turning into the ocean as a surfer rides the waves. “The folks make the vacation spot — it is extra enjoyable with you,” reads the tagline.

The locations are there, nonetheless — within the soundtrack, recorded in 23 spots throughout the Philippines, you may hear smashing waves from Samar, and T’boli devices from South Cotobato. There are two movies: one stereo, and one binaural and immersive — the latter is finest watched with headphones.

Switzerland: Highway tripping with Anne and Roger

Tennis champ Roger Federer has been selling his native Switzerland for a number of years, however in April he was joined by Anne Hathaway in a two-minute skit.

“Anne and Roger realized the arduous manner that nobody upstages the Grand Tour of Switzerland” was the tagline, after the pair had been proven changing into irate when viewing the rushes of their supposed advert for the nation. Within the skit, their close-up actions — from leaping over a glacier to a synchronized swim in an icy lake — had been changed with vast pictures, as a result of the director felt that Switzerland was extra spectacular than even Federer’s abs.

“While you want an unbeatable highway journey you want Switzerland,” it completed. Self-deprecating celebs get a thumbs up from us.

Nice Britain: Past the chintz

The royals, the Cotswolds and now Brexit are in all probability what springs to thoughts for most individuals after they consider the UK, however Go to Britain’s 2022 marketing campaign, which launched in February, eschewed the classics to indicate what else is on supply.

Welcome to One other Facet of Britain spotlit Britain’s cities — which noticed an enormous drop in worldwide guests from each the pandemic and Brexit.

Morocco: Tripping the sunshine

Individuals are inclined to go to Morocco for custom, however this video, launched in Could, takes these traditions (tajines, souks, Marrakech’s Badi Palace) and combines them with fashionable Morocco: golf within the dunes, fashionable dance within the Badi Palace, and spectacular artwork installations within the desert.

It cleverly managed to throw in pictures of all the pieces you go to Morocco for, but infuse it with a up to date edge. Good work — and good soundtrack, too.

Iceland: Ponies as private assistants

Really feel obliged to verify your e-mail whereas on trip? There is no want to fret about that in case you select Iceland, which has vowed to “Out-horse your e-mail.”

The advert, launched in Could, claimed that Icelandic ponies have been educated to jot down out of workplace messages in order that you do not have to the touch your cellphone.

“Nothing ruins your trip like work,” begins the minute-long video, earlier than displaying seven horses tramping over a large keyboard, crafting unintelligible replies.

Vienna: Let your self go

It is a full-on brief movie of almost six minutes, through which a rotund abdomen leaves his workout-obsessed human, Harry, as a result of he not feels welcome.

Mentioned stomach takes off to Vienna the place it wanders the streets, checks out chic artworks, and enjoys some Sacher torte in its lodge mattress. Ultimately, Harry comes to search out Stomach, and the pair have a pleasant date in a Viennese restaurant.

“Probably the most stunning technique to love your self is to indulge,” it ends. This appears to be a little bit of a polarizer — it both speaks to you or it would not — however it’s a cinematic watch no matter you consider the message.

Australia: See the sights with Rose Byrne

Australia’s nine-minute film, “G’day,” racked up 19 million YouTube views in its first month alone. Selling the brand new marketing campaign “Come and say g’day,” the “Toy Story”-style movie starred Rose Byrne as Ruby, a toy kangaroo, and Will Arnett as Louie, a toy unicorn.

The pair get away of a Nice Barrier Reef reward store and journey to Nitmiluk Gorge, Uluru, the Nice Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera Home.

“Down Below, ‘g’day’ is the beginning of each good journey,” says Byrne on the finish, in individual. “It is our manner of claiming, ‘When you’re not a good friend but, you’ll be mate.'” Contrived? Positive, however the viewing numbers communicate for themselves.

Korea: Playtime

Late entry “Lets play Korea,” which dropped in November, is a enjoyable, snappy have a look at the nation, with one thing for everybody, from household enjoyable, via teenage goals and grownup teams to silver-haired {couples} on an outing collectively.

There’s road-tripping, {golfing}, paragliding and dancing Ok-pop type. See you there.

Qatar: Courting David Beckham

He additionally performed soccer with a Qatari girl (“Feminine soccer is one thing I’ve all the time supported, and all of the extra so now particularly for me now that I’ve a daughter.”)

However the criticism was swift and powerful, with many flagging Qatar’s alleged human rights points. Amnesty urged him to “communicate out” in regards to the therapy of migrant staff who had been making the World Cup potential, whereas UK comic Joe Lycett performed a stunt pretending to burn (however in the end donating to LGBT charities) almost $12,000 in protest at Beckham’s rumored $184 million, 10-year gig.