To promote internal tourism in Ecuador, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Transportation and tourism asked to develop a campaign that would prove that Ecuador is a top tourist destination. Ecuadorians tend to travel outside the country because they perceive foreign destinations to be better than their country’s. Instead of using traditional media to advertise tourism, we decided to invite 40 travelers to experience tourism in Ecuador by making them believe they were in another country. We had disguised the whole space and made sure that they thought they were actually in Costa Rica. We disguised the airport, used Costa Rican immigration cards, set up souvenir shops, Costa Rican car plates and traffic signs. The travellers had a great time and were convinced they were in the Central American country. On their way back, we revealed where they actually were and told them they had never left Ecuador.

We invited a group of 40 travellers to an exotic destination in “Golfito, Costa Rica”. We simulated a long journey but actually landed in the Tena’s airport in Ecuador. We made sure that they thought they were actually in Costa Rica. We disguised the airport, setup souvenir shops and Costa Rican car plates and traffic signs. 12 of the travellers already knew about our plan and helped us keep the rest of the group ‘uninformed’. We even recorded a full day of a Costa Rican radio station and played on the way to their adventure so that they didn't even suspect the were not there. We also hired tour guides with a foreign accents. The travellers had a great time rafting and bathing in the river. On their back to the airport, we revealed where they actually were and told them they had never left the country.

We published the story right before a national holiday. The campaign even provoked a minor diplomatic argument between Costa Rica and Ecuador which was quickly solved making an internal campaign into a global issue. We received 19 MILLION MEDIA IMPRESSIONS and 1480 MEDIA PLACEMENTS including coverage from CNN, Yahoo News and Mashable. The CEO of TAME (the airline involved) announced that the even the routes to Esmeraldas and Manta (2 unpopular destinations) had been sold out in a matter of days after the release of the story. Sales for domestic flights rose by 17% as compared to last year’s holiday. This proved the positive promotional impact the campaign had among Ecuadorians and their perception towards internal tourism. The video of the trip was mailed to the airline's database of passengers who usually travel abroad. 23% of them decided to vacation in Ecuador.