Yes, South Africa does want more tourists from the United States, the country’s tourism CEO, Thandiwe January-McLean, confirmed at Indaba 2011, held May 7 through 10 in Durban.
While tourism from the burgeoning African market — specifically Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Nigeria — were identified as a South African Tourism priority, the United States comprises a huge and virtually untapped market. January-McLean noted that football fans and adventurers from the United States purchased the largest number of FIFA World Cup 2010 tickets after host nation, South Africa.
Click here to read about Indaba 2010 and South Africa’s hottest tourist destination.
The US is one of several markets being heavily targeted for tourists, so watch out for the ads and the offers — and not just to see the wildlife, which many now regard as a South African tourism cliche.
For South African Tourism, the unique welcoming spirit of South African people, coupled with its spectacularly diverse tourist attractions, is at the heart of a new global marketing and advertising campaign rolled out during Indaba. The focus of this is “20 Experiences in 20 Days.” The international campaign is geared to showcase South Africa over a 12 month period to one billion people in more than 600 million households through TV commercials, print media and online. The campaign features couples and friends from China, Brazil, Angola and Germany — seen as key core and emerging markets.
“Playing Globally, Winning Locally,” the theme of this year’s Indaba — Africa’s leading travel and tourism trade exhibition (more than 11 400 delegates attended Indaba 2010) — was in part a celebration of South Africa’s huge World Cup 2010 tourism success story; in part a “where to now” as new directions were firmed up. (Last year saw a 15.1% increase on figures over 2009, with 8 073 552 tourist arrivals.)
South Africa’s elevated prominence in the global emerging economies scene, following the country’s recent integration into the BRICS economic coalition (Brazil, Russia, India and China), meant that these countries were also a focus for tourism industry growth.
At Indaba, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, put into focus what he called “South Africa’s 2020 tourism strategy.”
He said the objective was to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals from 7 million in 2009 to 15 million by 2020; tourism’s total contribution to the economy from R189 billion in 2009 to R499 billion by 2020; and to create 225 000 new jobs by 2020.
The Indaba 2011 tourism message, “Leave Ordinary Behind,” played out in the new series of television ads premiered at the Indaba immediately prior to their international launch. Their focus emphasizes what van Schalkwyk and others see as setting South Africa’s tourism industry apart. Namely, the personal connection and interaction tourists feel both with the people, and the country’s unique attractions.
January-McLean stressed the importance of South Africa’s people, culture, heritage and lifestyle tourism offerings as key to sustaining awareness and conversion from thinking about a trip to actually signing up.
CNN’s Richard Quest moderated Indaba’s Global Media Face Off, attended by about 300 local and international journalists.
Featuring on a media face-off panel, attended by about 300 local and international journalists, were Director-General in the Department of Tourism, Kingsley Makhubela, South African Tourism CEO, Thandiwe January-McLean, International Marketing Council CEO, Miller Matola, Tourism Enterprise Partnership CEO, Dr Salifou Siddo and Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa CEO, Allan Moore.
January-McLean said the African tourism market was critical for South African Tourism, which had budgeted nearly R60-million on its marketing efforts on the continent. Tourists from Angola, Nigeria, DRC and Kenya, she said, showed tremendous potential for leisure and lifestyle tourism to South Africa and possessed considerable spending power.
January-McLean pointed out that South Africa is a relatively new tourism destination if one takes into account that during apartheid, “we were telling people not to come here — and now we’re telling people to come here and experience South Africa in its totality.”
Comments