Cape Town Tourism is banding together with officials from the City’s Destination Marketing Department to imagine and reignite the Mother City to attract more visitors. Established early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism task team focused on coordinating interventions needed to minimise the devastating effect that the virus has on tourism and related industries.

This team has devised and is now implementing the ‘Tourism Bounce-Back-Strategy’ to ensure Cape Town’s tourism and related sectors get back on their feet as soon as possible.

“This strategy, detailed below, includes the marketing and communications approach for our six pillars – to Visit, Live, Work, Study, Play & Invest in Cape Town – as well as lobbying national government to reopen international travel as soon as possible, and domestic campaigns targeted at locals and marketing Cape Town as a quality and affordable destination,” said James Vos, the City’s Mayco Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management.

“We have been voted the best city in the world seven times in a row. We have so much to offer, and we must remind local and international tourists of these offerings.”

A cornerstone of the recovery plan is the Six Pillar Strategy.

“This Six Pillar Strategy is our strategic marketing and communications approach to reimagining and reigniting visitor demand to Visit, Live, Work, Study, Play and Invest in Cape Town. It allows us to provide a rich and holistic view of all the city has to offer across the six themes,” Vos said.

– The Destination Marketing unit is in the process of gathering research into tourist behaviour changes resulting from the impact of Covid-19. This will inform our strategy on an ongoing basis.

– The effort is also investing in airport branding and tailoring targeted messaging in many key source markets to visit Cape Town. This is to ensure Cape Town is at the top of mind for domestic travellers and for when international travel commences.

“We will soon launch an exciting and easy-to-use SMART CITY app which will help increase business between local and international markets,” Vos added. “The City of Cape Town has also renewed funding for the successful Cape Town Air Access (CTAA) initiative, located in WESGRO, an initiative to get the aviation sector back on its feet.

:By boosting direct flights, or route expansions we create more efficient connections between our city and key source markets, which is crucial if we are to capitalise on global business. At the end of the day, more connections create jobs and deliver trade and tourism opportunities.”

“However, all of this planning means little if our international borders do not open as soon as is responsibly possible. Therefore, I continue to engage with my national counterparts to lobby for and request key information on estimates of when international travel will be allowed,” he said. “As we approach our peak season, the reopening may be a lifeline to many in our local tourism sector.”

“We can and will bounce back with the right targeted interventions.”

Source: Cape Town ETC