As the U.S. and its cities learn to promote themselves to travelers for the first time, Visit Philadelphia's successes are an anomaly and a promising example in a still under-recognized U.S. industry.
Viking is one of the few upcoming travel companies today that isn't chasing millennials or catering to gadget-happy jet-setters. A focus on its core older customer base keeps its marketing clear and product perfect for the demographic.
JetBlue doesn't want to be JCPenney. The airline certainly wants to attract more business travelers, but it adamantly seeks to ensure that changes don't come at the expense of its leisure traveler customer base. The balancing act will gradually become more of a challenge as Mint service expands, but it isn't a huge issue for the moment.
UK has been aggressive in promoting the country internationally, and spending enough to make sure the visitor numbers rise. But it has lots of macro challenges, including promoting rest of the country outside of London, fixing the country's inbound airport hubs, loosening the visa regime, and more.
Biggest lesson to be learned: Give travelers the experience they are looking for: value, service, a great user interface, personal global connections, and social sharing. Mix these together, and you have a success story called Airbnb.
Airlines worldwide are kicking themselves for not thinking of this endearing and digitally-impressive new ad. It shows that passengers can still expect creative marketing from carriers, if nothing else.