Cape Town and the Western Cape is set to capitalise on United States travellers through a dedicated US Neverending Tourists marketing campaign.
Looking to attract travellers from the US using the authentic voices of US expats who came to the Cape and never left – fondly called the ‘Neverending Tourists’ – the campaign features three Americans immersing themselves in the nature, culture, and food and wine experiences on offer in the Cape. Through exquisitely showcasing the world-class Cape Town and Western Cape tourism offerings, the series simply calls on viewers to come visit the destination to ‘Get in a Good Space’.
Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander, officially unveiled the hero video at the FEDHASA Cape AGM, hosted at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town this afternoon. In attendance were over 100 tourism and hospitality leaders, including trusted partners and young professionals. This marks the third video to be released in the award-winning Neverending Tourist digital campaign series, which has been running for the last two years.
To view the video click here.
Underpinned by the consumer insight that travellers from our key source markets are seeking destinations with wide open spaces, outdoor activities, and nature, to rejuvenate following a challenging locked down life, Stander explains:
“US travellers are known for their high spend, multi-generational travel, often seeking the bucket list trip. The US is also one of the largest markets for the Cape in terms of cruise passengers, With our industry preparing for the upcoming bumper season, I believe the Western Cape will deliver on this ‘trip of a lifetime’ brand promise.”
Meeting potential consumers on relevant platforms, the digital strategy includes a media partnership with Expedia - a popular and trusted American online travel information and booking system. Due to the vastness of the region, the campaign will target source cities with direct flights - including New York, Atlanta, and Washington – and LA, in order to have a significant impact.
The Mother City recently welcomed two new direct routes from the US - with United’s Washington-CPT route and Delta’s Atlanta-CPT route - both operating three times per week starting from December.
The US has always been in South Africa’s top three source markets – along with the UK and Germany – and this is equally true for Cape Town and the Western Cape. The Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, concludes: “In 2019, two-way passenger volumes between the United States and Cape Town reached 213 000 passengers, with air cargo reaching 3 305 metric tonnes. With the campaign set to drive increased awareness of the destination, we believe that we can expect a ramp-up in not only our visitor numbers, but also in trade and investment. We look forward to reaping the positive knock-on effect that this will have on our economy, as we look to boost job creation in the Western Cape.”