Philip Morris promotes its products by sponsoring 'smoke-free' tourist destinations

As smoking bans in public places become more widespread, the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris International (PMI) is promoting the consumption of its new tobacco products under the guise of a communication towards a "smoke-free future". In its marketing campaign, the cigarette manufacturer offers highly popular tourist destinations called "smoke-free" such as the Greek and Canary Islands.[1].

At least 45 municipalities, hotels and businesses in Europe –– from the Czech Republic to the Canary Islands –– have been certified as “smoke-free.” Many have done so with the support of the tobacco company. These partnerships run counter to the commitments made by these countries.

Popular tourist destinations used to promote heated tobacco

This is the case of the Greek island of Astypalea since 2019. In a statement, PMI announced that it was "the first smoke-free island in the world" with the help of the company Papastratos, a national subsidiary of PMI. Smoking cigarettes in certain tourist areas and inside hotels, restaurants and bars is prohibited. Based on this ban, the manufacturer said that those who do not stop smoking cigarettes will be informed of "alternative options". The island has received certification from TÜV Austria, a company that offers "integrated management of safety, quality, environmental and technical resources"[2] for its campaign to encourage either quitting smoking or switching to alternatives such as PMI’s heated tobacco device. Hotels created spaces to use heated tobacco, converted old smoking rooms and provided trial kits for the tobacco company’s heated tobacco products. PMI also invited a travel influencer to visit Astypalea. At one of the hotels where the influencer stayed, indoor cigarette smoking was prohibited, but heated tobacco use was permitted and promoted throughout the hotel and on the beaches.

In July 2019, the Plaza del Príncipe in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, hosted an event to introduce an “IQOS terrace,” named after PMI’s product brand. The event included live music, a photoshoot, and food that is said to be the “essence of IQOS.”[3]. In one city in the Czech Republic, the mayor of a town signed a cooperation agreement with PMI’s Czech subsidiary in May 2019 to become “the first smoke-free spa town in the Czech Republic.” A few months later, Philip Morris donated nearly €21,000 to the town hall to fund cigarette butt collection and the installation of ashtrays.

A CSR campaign to improve its image and weaken regulations

In reality, these "smoke-free" certifications are just a show piece: no new restrictions on cigarette smoking in tobacco industry-sponsored locations are being introduced. PMI's broader goal is to renormalize tobacco use, and the adoption of its new products also communicates for image purposes about reducing cigarette waste in these locations without mentioning the harm of its new products and its responsibility for the scale and toxicity of tobacco product waste.

In recent years, PMI has claimed to be engaged in a major transformation of the industry and is promoting the concept of “Unsmoke the world”. This approach coincides with the development and promotion of new nicotine and tobacco products (notably IQOS), and its desire to return to the decision-making process by positioning itself as a legitimate partner in solving the tobacco pandemic. The facts are a reminder that PMI is first and foremost a traditional cigarette company and that it continues to develop this traditional market. Since the launch of the “Unsmoke” campaign alone, it has shipped 1.9 trillion cigarettes, representing an average global market share of 12.2 %[4].

These smoke-free certifications are part of this image strategy likely to allow manufacturers to develop their profit margins on very lucrative products that they tend to impose everywhere.

Keywords: Philip Morris, heated tobacco, IQOS, CSR, smoke-free world

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[1] Andrei Ciurcanu, Alessia Cerantola, 'Smoke-Free' Cities and Islands — Sponsored by Philip Morris, OCCRP, May 5, 2022, accessed May 10, 2022

[2] TUV Austria, Thinking Beyond, About us page, May 2022

[3] University of Bath, Smoke-free Destinations, Tobacco Tactics, last updated February 23, 2022, accessed May 10, 2022

[4] Unsmoke Is (Still) a Joke, Blog of the STOP organization, April 6, 2022, consulted on May 10, 2022