Cape Town Tourism has unveiled its new global marketing campaign, with the tag line “You don’t need a holiday, you need Cape Town”.
The new campaign aims to encapsulate everything Cape Town has to offer, including tourism, design, business, studies, nature, and the rich diversity of its people, to capture a bigger share of the international and local travel market.
Details of the inclusive marketing campaign were revealed at Cape Town Tourism’s Annual General Meeting on 17 October, and it will be launched internationally at the World Travel Market in London on 7 November.
The AGM was attended by Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de Lille, who said in her opening remarks that Cape Town is “more than a holiday destination, it’s a beautiful way of life”.
“We need to attract new travellers in new ways to Cape Town. We cannot rely on tried and tested old ways,” she added.
According to Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Hembold, Cape Town needs to retain its existing successful initiatives and overlay them with a “compelling global marketing and communications campaign…that takes Cape Town to the world in a bold and comprehensive manner”.
“The marketing campaign is about more than just attracting tourists. It’s about incorporating business and investment, the creative and innovation sectors and academia into one vision and direction: economic growth, job creation and inclusion to the benefit of all citizens,” Du Toit-Hembold said.
“Whilst we acknowledge that Cape Town is still plagued with serious social issues, we must illustrate the determination to resolve these issues via tourism, education, service delivery, city planning and design,” she said.
Tourism contributes an estimated R14 billion to the city’s economy every year, employing just under 300 000 people.
She pointed out that the tourism market has become more difficult, especially due to the global financial crisis, and Cape Town must be differentiated from other cities, with the message incorporating not just natural beauty but personal stories that inspire and resonate with both locals and visitors.
“The marketing campaign offers inspirational Cape Town as the antidote to an uncertain and changing world – an urban elixir, if you will … take a good dose of the tonic and although we can’t promise what you will find, we can promise that you will find your better self. The tagline is ‘You don’t need a holiday, you need Cape Town!'”
Cape Town Tourism aims to generate demand locally and domestically (and try shed the image of an expensive destination); ensure optimal visitor dispersal and spend; and improve the tourism industry’s capability to convert prospective business into revenue.
It will work with airlines and tourism operators to offer better travel packages, and will also launch a series of Discovery Channel and National Geographic television programmes in 2012.
Cape Town Tourism received R40 million from the City of Cape Town last year, and has unveiled a budget of R45 million for the next financial year.
