Virginia is for Lovers was just inducted into the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame - 40 years strong - love conquers all. www.virginia.org/40

Posted By Tamra on September 24, 2009, 5:01 PM

Oh no not Colombia! Yes it's probably not appropriate, but it is catchy. And I have to agree with Jersey, that's so boring.

Not for nothing, I like Philly's. Not just because I work here but because it translates to different audiences including Con Cariño, Con Affetto, Alles Liebe, etc.

Posted By Eric on September 24, 2009, 5:15 PM

"virginia is for lovers" is a classic and i hope they never change it. also like montana's "there's nothing here" and "forever west" for wyoming. most of the others all sound the same and i think would do better without a slogan.

Posted By gavin on September 24, 2009, 5:56 PM

Although it was voted the worst, Colombia's slogan is VERY fitting! people have no idea what kind of country they are coming to. Its rich with culture, panaramic views and a passion for EVERYTHING! after you experience it... U definitely agree with the slogan... The only risk is NEVER WANTING TO LEAVE! The other slogan they also use is "Colombia is PASSION" but it definitely doesnt have the lasting impression of the other one.

Either way go see for yourself! and check out the youtube videos for the slogan "Colombia: the only risk is staying"

Posted By Tatiana on September 24, 2009, 6:35 PM

Mississippi - Set your watch back 200 years.

Philadelphia - The City of Brotherly Shove

Iowa - A State of Mind

Wyoming - Where men are men and sheep are scared.

I don't blame you moderator if you don't post these.

Posted By Tom on September 24, 2009, 6:38 PM

How about Australia's doozey "Where the bloody hell are you" campaign. This one certainly gained some free pr but not always positive as it was banned in some countries.

Posted By Robert on September 24, 2009, 9:01 PM

Belize is truly "Mother Nature's Best Kept Secret" and is one of the last unspoiled places on earth. Only two hours from the US it's the only English speaking country in Central America. I'd encourage everyone to Be One With Belize.

Posted By Jan Frank on September 25, 2009, 9:46 AM

Glasgow (Scotland) used "Glasgow's Miles Better" for many years. Got great PR off it and provoked some debate.

Posted By Heather Burns on September 25, 2009, 10:51 AM

Montenegro- Wild Beauty

Posted By guest 1 on September 25, 2009, 1:07 PM

Colombia is indeed a treasure and I can't wait for my next visit, but its slogan "The Only Risk Is Wanting To Stay," while catchy, contains that risky word, "risk," and thus may very well lead people to do more research. Since the drug connection has already been ingrained for a generation, it won't take long for other unsavory associations to arise. So this would not have been my choice for a slogan. I know somebody essentially said, "let's take the weak point and address it head-on." But there were probably better ways to do it.

Posted By David Paul Appell on September 25, 2009, 10:15 PM

As a travel agent, I've seen a lot of slogans, but Illinois has one that I always thought was cool..."Illinois, a million miles from Monday." Definitely conveys the idea of relaxation.

Posted By Tina Cline on September 28, 2009, 12:46 AM

Malaysia truly Asia ! :-)

Posted By Henrik on September 28, 2009, 11:32 AM

Korea's was pretty atrocious, along with their ad campaign.

"Korea, Sparkling."

Posted By Alicia on September 28, 2009, 12:10 PM

I feel like we have a winner for Athens, Georgia: Life Unleashed. It captures the essence of our city. Song titles that both Georgia and Alabama use are great, "Georgia on my Mind" and "Sweet Home Alabama."

Posted By Chuck Jones on September 28, 2009, 12:14 PM

I like Panama's - "It will never leave you." Kind of like Herpes.

Posted By DM on September 28, 2009, 12:22 PM

How about the slogan "Boston Beans"

Posted By Diane Krajenski on September 28, 2009, 12:34 PM

Wild, Wonderful West Virginia

Posted By Gail on September 28, 2009, 12:47 PM

Santa Fe, NM: "The City Different" is the slogan lousy.

Posted By Dale Hill on September 28, 2009, 1:01 PM

My home state: Maryland is for crabs! A classic, yes. But classically bad, too.

Posted By Regina Lynn on September 28, 2009, 1:32 PM

I love Croatia's "The Mediterranean as it once was." I think that is perfectly describes this amazing country.

Posted By Pam on September 28, 2009, 1:52 PM

Here's a current classic:

"I Feel Slovenia."

This tourism slogan is slightly less hilarious if you boldface the "love" part of "Slovenia" -- but not much.

It's a shame. The awkward slogan makes Slovenia --beautiful country, lovely people -- sound something like "Molvania: A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry."

Posted By Jerry Camarillo Dunn on September 28, 2009, 2:14 PM

South Carolina's "Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places" describes perfectly the hospitality and beauty of SC

Posted By Katie on September 28, 2009, 2:17 PM

My favorite is "North Korea-Once You Come You Will Never Leave"

Posted By john on September 28, 2009, 2:29 PM

Driving into Pecos, Texas, one is greeted by their sign "Pecos: A Place to Pause."

Posted By Carolyn on September 28, 2009, 2:34 PM

Murcia, a sort of forgotten corner of Spain, promoted the slogan "Murcia: Donde Vive el Sol" in this dramatic, masculine voice. Where the sun lives? Really?

Posted By Emily on September 28, 2009, 2:42 PM

New Orleans - Laissez le bon temps rouler!!!!

Posted By Adele Rogers on September 28, 2009, 2:44 PM

In Kansas, our current slogan is: "Kansas, As big as you think"

I live here and I have no idea what that means! Most people have no idea where we are except "somewhere in the middle?" How would they know how big (or not) Kansas really is??

Sure wouldn't make me want to come here.

Posted By Kristine on September 28, 2009, 3:08 PM

Alaska B4UDIE!!

Posted By Susan on September 28, 2009, 3:13 PM

How about " TRY A VIRGIN...ISLAND" ? for the U.S.Virgin Islands. Been there, done that, still have the pin.

Posted By Tricia on September 28, 2009, 3:28 PM

"Great Places, Great Faces, South Dakota"
does not make me wat to rush off to South Dakota :)

Posted By Jennifer Lynn Adams on September 28, 2009, 4:11 PM

Mesquite, Texas used to proclaim from a billboard that it was "Texas' 43rd Largest City." Sure gave me a hankerin' to visit!

Posted By Egorsti on September 28, 2009, 4:21 PM

Top on my list is Alaska's ad campaign on billboards that said B4UDIE, as in "see Alaska -- BEFORE YOU DIE!" Also, my country's is awful (Chile): All Ways Surprising. Thankfully they're changing it next year.

Posted By Cristina on September 28, 2009, 4:25 PM

Indonesia's 2008 tourism campaign featured the unfortunate slogan "Celebrating 100 years of nation's awakening." In addition to the obvious grammatical mistake, which was plastered on airplanes, billboards, and international airports across the country before being caught, the slogan commemorates a historical event that even most Indonesians have never heard of.

Posted By Sam on September 28, 2009, 4:32 PM

Favorite Slogans:

Maine - The Way Life Should Be
Prince Edward Island - Once You Get Here, You'll Understand

I can attest to feeling the truth of both of these slogans when I visited. To me, these slogans really captured the spirit of each place quite well.

Posted By Kathy on September 28, 2009, 4:42 PM

A few years ago South Dakota used a slogan during the gas crisis in the 70's

We Got Gas - South Dakota

Their original one was the best Land of Infinate Verity.

Posted By David on September 28, 2009, 6:39 PM

I live in Alabama the Beautiful, but I often feel like our slogan should be: "Alabama - At Least It's Not Mississippi." (especially after having lived in Mississippi for a year...never thought anywhere could make me miss AL, but it succeeded!)

My all-time favorite: Come to Jamaica and Feel Alright!

Perhaps not their official slogan, but that's been in the commercials for a long time and it never fails to make me want to go.

Posted By Rachell on September 28, 2009, 7:06 PM

Utah's new slogan is one of the worst:
"Life Elevated"

Posted By John G. Nickum on September 28, 2009, 7:37 PM

"Oklahoma is OK" makes me want to go somewhere better.

Posted By Megen on September 28, 2009, 8:04 PM

Atlantic City... Always Turned On!

Posted By Kim Sanders on September 28, 2009, 8:51 PM

Here in Tucson, we have had our share of Tourism Slogan "misses"
Although some are kinda neat.

"The Old Pueblo"
"The Baked Apple"
"Sunshine City" (we actually have over 330 days of sunshine a year!)
"Where Summer comes to Winter." Meaning that our Winters are like other places summer

But the odds on unofficial favorite is "It's a Dry Heat"

And actually, just this year, Arizona finally found out that we did not have a State Nickname. So the Legislature finally voted for "The Grand Canyon State" (to try and wrest the Canyon back from Las Vegas, where excursions to the Grand Canyon were leading tourists to think that the Grand Canyon was in Nevada)

Posted By Mapsmith on September 28, 2009, 10:50 PM

Since I live in Maryland and vacation in Delaware

Maryland is for Crabs

of Delaware:

on some of its signs when entering:
"Home of Tax-Free Shopping" which is true, no sales tax on a lot of consumer goods, or on groceries or on restaurant meals in Delaware.

Posted By Morgan on September 29, 2009, 4:52 AM

Yeah, "come to Jamaica and feel alright" until they find out that you are gay. Then you'll come home in a box. Jamaica is safe and lovely for straights only. Jamaicans want to murder gays and they do. They even sing songs in Jamaica around killing gays.

Posted By Morgan on September 29, 2009, 5:09 AM

I live in Bangladesh, where they only recently changed the slogan from this old doozy: "Visit Bangladesh: Before Tourists Come."

They just switched to "Beautiful Bangladesh," which fits better with the "do no harm" theory of slogans.

Posted By KM on September 29, 2009, 9:26 AM

Hotlanta (Atlanta, Georgia), well it used to be, now it is just overcrowded.

Posted By jhill on September 29, 2009, 12:47 PM

Virginia is for Lovers. But not if you are gay. Then you avoid Virginia if you can due to its antigay politics and its anti marriage equality amendment banning marriage equality, banning civil unions and even contracts between individuals who are not straight marrieds.

Maryland is more progressive as a state on equality for its citizens than Virginia.

Posted By Morgan on September 29, 2009, 12:50 PM

My favorite is the slogan for Rabun County (Clayton) Georgia:

"Where Spring Spends The Summer."

This slogan perfectly describes the pleasant climate in this mountainous area two hours north of Atlanta.

Posted By David on September 30, 2009, 11:35 AM

One that really failed:

HOUSTON - IT'S HOT!

Posted By Bob on September 30, 2009, 9:51 PM

Tourism slogans are funny and touchy to people.
I like the one for Say WA- Washington state.

Posted By Joseph blazewicz on October 1, 2009, 8:39 PM

I never would have been a success in advertising as I never understood "Virginia is for Lovers," even having lived there!

Posted By Linda on October 1, 2009, 8:59 PM

The Philippines has some great slogans!

WOW Philippines!
Explore Philippines!

Posted By Mary on October 2, 2009, 7:12 AM

It's bad, but I'm partial to the "I AMSTERDAM" campaign... I am this, I am that (different people doing different things, all diverse folks), I AMsterdam!

Does anyone remember the "Make it in Massachusetts" campaign from the late 70s or early 80s?

I actually like the Colombia one - to me, the first thing people think of is the drugs and risk, so this doesn't sugarcoat or dummy that historical issue down, it takes the big elephant in the room by the horns and confronts it. (Yes, I know that was a mixed metaphor!)

Posted By Another "crabby" Marylander on October 2, 2009, 10:42 AM

DULUTH
HAS A
GREAT
LAKE
(It's Superior)

Posted By Chas on October 2, 2009, 11:02 AM

Oklahoma, we're ok.
Okay, we get the postal initials thing but really "ok" does not make me want to pick up and go to Oklahoma.

Posted By Mkk on October 2, 2009, 6:20 PM

So, it's not like I work for the Dept of Tourism, but . . . .

"Maryland is for crabs" isn't the state slogan, nor is there any Google-able evidence that it ever has been. Sure, you can find "Don't bother me, I'm crabby" t-shirts in Harbor Place, but that's different.

Alas, my own suggestion, "Maryland, The Funny-Shaped State" hasn't gone anywhere either.

Posted By Mark on October 4, 2009, 6:52 PM

The newest slogan for the Philippines

Take Me to the Philippines!

Posted By Mary on October 5, 2009, 6:42 AM

One that always makes me wince is "Texas - It's like a whole other country" What country would that be? Mexico?

Or "Idaho - Famous Potatoes" - a pitiful claim to fame.

Posted By Greg on October 7, 2009, 2:29 PM

Can anybody recall the Glasgow slogan of the 70's when the city was trying to clean up its image. The slogan has a sexual innuendo and was dropped after a brief life.

Posted By Ron Allen on October 7, 2009, 7:56 PM

Let's not forget a really dumb slogan that was plastered on license plates a few years back -- "You have a friend in Pennsylvania". Really? Hope that's not your only friend. I live in the City of Brotherly Love -- except for the daily killings, a pretty nice place overall!

Posted By Sue on October 8, 2009, 11:02 AM

Tom Kean said it best -
New Jersey & You Perfect Together

Posted By Surf on October 8, 2009, 1:06 PM

I am currently living in South Korea (which is "Dynamic" in more ways than one). I love it here, but my city's slogan is "Ulsan For You". What about Ulsan is for me? Is Ulsan going to give me something?

Korea is famous for its information gaps and Ulsan is no different. So I ask Ulsan: what can you do for me?

Posted By Dani on October 8, 2009, 11:33 PM

I live in Maine and ours is "VACATIONLAND" I love being here!

Posted By Ariannah on October 10, 2009, 5:20 PM

I like Utah's "The Greatest Snow On Earth."

Posted By Ari on October 14, 2009, 11:25 AM

New Mexico - the Land of Enchantment

Posted By Amy on October 15, 2009, 10:43 AM

Back in the 80s, you could buy T-shirts in PA that read: Virginia may be for lovers, but Pennsylvania has Intercourse. Still have mine.

Posted By Lori on October 15, 2009, 12:16 PM

Wisconsin State Fair had some classics; my favorite was, "Come Smell Our Dairy Air!"

Posted By James Michalek on October 15, 2009, 12:30 PM

I live in Spokane, Washington and our city slogan is......
"Near nature, Near Perfect."
It pretty much sums this city up.

Posted By Jessica Leach on October 15, 2009, 2:34 PM

"San Diego, the finnest city of the world" (except for the potholes,the homeless, the gangs in barrio logan and market street, the anti-immigrants and racist police) otherwise is ok to live here.

Posted By juan r perez on October 15, 2009, 4:17 PM

The tourism bureau has been re-christened as "Positively Cleveland" and uses this "CLE+" logo everywhere! PLUS? PLUS what? PLUS POOP? "Cleveland Rocks!" I guess is the most current one, but I feel its too easy of a Freudian slip to say "Cleveland Sucks!" And... yes... Cleveland HAS rocks! What city doesn't? We have too many though... mostly decrepit warehouses & factories in ruin! I did see a T-shirt that said "Cleveland - You Gotta Be Tough!" plus I did see these Tees fashioned into the Miller High Life logo that says "Cleveland Low Life" (I quite liked that one!) A local comedian made some viral fake tourism videos of Cleveland (which were GENIUS), and the tag was "At Least We're Not Detroit!"

Posted By J Finley on October 15, 2009, 4:19 PM

West Virginia, Wild & Wonderful says it all: it's a amazing state full of scenic mountain views, friendly people & a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities like whitewater rafting, fishing, rockclimbing & a (new) world-class canopy tour in the New River Gorge!

Posted By Lisa Gale on October 15, 2009, 4:28 PM

Wild Wonderful West Virginia - original until our self-serving Governor changed it to "Open For Business" a few years ago. First off, that's not true and how warm and fuzzy is that? With much gripe from the people who make it wild and wonderful, it was returned to it's original slogan but not without a buttload of taxpaper money to re-create signage and tourism literature. So typical.

Posted By Maria on October 15, 2009, 4:34 PM

A couple of slogans come to mind for me. Oregon recently had the slogan "Oregon is for Dreamers." (People dreaming of other states, maybe?) For a while, I remember Mew Mexico had the tagline "New Mexico USA." Every time I saw that one, I always thought their slogan should be "No, not THAT Mexico - Our Mexico!"

Another favorite slogan was one actually a joke from an old sitcom: "Come to Bolivia - It's Unboliviable!"

Posted By schnebs on October 15, 2009, 6:58 PM

Uniquely Singapore! That's my favorite.

Posted By Charche on October 16, 2009, 3:38 AM

We just got back from a trip to South Carolina. I'd suggest the following slogan "South Carolina: Rusty tin shacks and weeds in the roadway." Or "South Carolina is for mosquitoes."

Posted By bill on October 16, 2009, 7:05 AM

if it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them. ask palin, remember alaska

Posted By john bolduc on October 16, 2009, 1:35 PM

Texas is like its OWN other country, hun. It's sure not like anywhere else.

The problem with Houston, HOT! is that Houston is way, way, way too hot for anybody not used to heat. It's not a dry heat.

Galveston apparently doesn't have a slogan.

Posted By Gail S on October 20, 2009, 10:32 PM

My all time favorite:
PS I love you!

Posted By Marlene on October 22, 2009, 4:13 PM

I love Las Vegas's "What happens here, stays here" slogan that to me is the best slogan out there that i like so far.

Posted By Katrina on November 2, 2009, 8:59 PM

My home town, Paris, Tennessee: "Home of the World's Biggest Fish Fry." If that doesn't bring the tourists, I don't know what will.

Posted By Joe Routon on November 8, 2009, 8:58 AM

I remember Kansas previously had: "Kansas...Land of Ahhs." Well, if it weren't for the Wizard of Oz, people wouldn't believe in Kansas.

Posted By Jim on November 12, 2009, 8:02 PM

Denver, the Mile High City - Love it!

Posted By Diadre on January 4, 2010, 10:06 PM