Hello Kitty Named Japan’s Tourism Ambassador to China

Travel Blog  •  Jim Benning  •  05.21.08 | 1:00 PM ET

imageCongrats, Hello Kitty. You earned it. See, Tijuana? For your tourism mascot, you went with Xuani—frankly, an unknown quantity—and look at the mess you’re in now. I suggest following Japan’s lead. Think big. Think branded multilingual animated icon with global reach. Think of someone who’s not afraid to holler, “Vamanos!” Yes, Tijuana, I’m talking Dora the Explorer. Now that’s a mascot.

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* Eva Airways Harnesses the Power of Hello Kitty

Photo by antigone78 via Flickr, (Creative Commons)

Tags: Asia, China, Japan, North America, Mexico


1 Comment for Hello Kitty Named Japan’s Tourism Ambassador to China

Jim Benning 05.21.08 | 7:38 PM ET

I should add that there’s no evidence that Dora is a Tijuanense, or even Mexican. In fact, her exact Latin American nationality is the subject of much debate and conjecture (though Tico the squirrel is clearly Costa Rican and Dora is usually wandering through a jungle that looks a lot like those I saw in Central America). More:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061007094753AAYkHXp

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