New reports (in The Mirror and elsewhere) say that musician Snoop Dogg has tried and failed to rent the country of Liechtenstein, which Mr. Dogg wished to use as the setting for a music video. There’s a history to this. Yes, Mr. Dogg would be the first person to actually rent the nation — but Liechtenstein has been officially on offer since 2003.
The 2003 Ig Nobel Prize in economics was awarded jointly to Karl Schwärzler and to the nation of Liechtenstein, for making it possible to rent the entire country for corporate conventions, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other gatherings.
The New York Post reports today that a government official is denying the historical fact:
“There is no ‘For Rent’ sign on our country,” ambassador Claudia Fritsche told The Post. “No part of any government agency is involved in this.”
Yet, in 2003 the New York Times reported from Lichtenstein that:
the “rent-a-state” program is intended to draw attention to Liechtenstein’s “Heidi”-esque charms and its advantages as a destination for conventions, corporate retreats and the like. Organizations that take part will pay about $320 to $530 a day per person — for groups up to 1,200 people — for access to the country’s hotels, restaurants, meeting places and sports facilities. Companies will also be able to temporarily “brand” buildings and institutions with their own logos. “This allows people to identify themselves with the surroundings and the people,” said Karl Schwarzler, chief executive of Xnet, the company in charge of the project.In Parliament, in response to a worried question from a legislator, a government spokesman contended that the program was a positive one.
Anyone wishing to rent Liechtenstein can get more info at <www.rentastate.com>.