Today, Wesgro’s Destination Marketing Unit in partnership with key stakeholders at all levels of government and the tourism industry, launched the #NowhereBetter campaign.
Following a perfect storm of negative messaging, the local tourism industry took a down turn with international arrivals declining in 2018, compared to that of 2017. The challenge faced was that potential visitors were delaying their trip or not considering Cape Town and the Western Cape as their holiday destination.
Identifying it was a shared responsibility to change the narrative and the power of a single voice, government and key tourism stakeholders came together in an historic first to devise a plan to put the province back on the international tourism consideration list.
Through research and numerous discussions, the question was posed: Where else in the world can you experience breath-taking landscapes, rich cultural experiences, world class food and wine, art, marine life, beaches, nature and much more, all within a few minutes or hours from a vibrant city centre?
To this end it was agreed that ‘Nowhere Does it Better’ than Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Showcasing the breadth and depth of various activities within the Western Cape and the proximity these are to one another the globally focused, white label, marketing campaign is comprised of compelling video's showcasing the extraordinary offering in the destination.
With phrases including “Where the French come to fall in love” and “The English come to drink tea,” the campaign adopts a cheeky twist compelling travellers to come visit Cape Town and the Western Cape to experience activities synonymous with other countries because - we just do it better.
Judy Lain, Wesgro’s Chief Marketing Officer for Tourism, stated: “The purpose of this campaign is to re-ignite people’s passion in the destination. We need to go back to basics and remind people why we are great and why they need to come and visit us!”
The video, which beautifully displays the diversity of the experience escapes available in the province, have been curated into shorter scenarios which will be boosted to the Cape’s top three source markets (United States, United Kingdom and Germany) via Facebook, Instagram, Google, Programmatic Marketing and Re-Marketing.
During the launch, it was stressed that a recovery plan is not the silver bullet solution to a complicated problem, however it was an active response to addressing the challenges with the power of a single voice to create a meaningful impact.
The campaign boasts two microsites: one for trade and the other for the consumer.
On the trade website, www.nowherebetter-campaign.com (launching Friday), tourism stakeholders can download the complimentary marketing assets for use of individual company marketing initiatives. The collateral has been specifically designed to include a white space at the bottom for individual companies to insert their own branding.
The consumer website, www.nowherebetter.co.za gives interested visitors an overview of the scenic, cultural and outdoor experiences on offer in the destination.
Executive Mayor, Dan Plato, stated: "We cannot rest on past successes and need to continue marketing Cape Town as the top destination that it is. Our city should be top of mind when travellers and event organisers are thinking about their next destination, so I am very pleased to see that we are doing exactly that today – finding new and innovative ways and messages to showcase Cape Town to the rest of the world."
Minister of Economic Opportunities, Beverly Schäfer, said: "Tourism is a vital sector in the Western Cape economy, sustaining over 300 000 direct and indirect jobs. In the same way this industry came together during the worst of the crisis, it's come together again as we find solutions. This campaign, funded from across the various spheres of the industry, is a reminder of everything the Western Cape and Cape Town have to offer."
South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, added: “Cape Town will always remain an iconic global destination. Through the difficult times over the last 18 months, we have displayed resilience and a willingness to challenge ourselves in coming up with innovative solutions to address the drought. We are excited at what the future holds for Cape Town and South Africa. The #NowhereBetter campaign is another encouraging step in leading the way to show to the world that Cape Town and South Africa is always open for business as we welcome visitors to our wonderful country.”
‘’What I truly love about the campaign is that it is a positive and ingenious way to reposition the Cape after the damage the water issue did to tourism to the region. The campaign is underpinned and funded by a strong collaborative base of the public and private sectors. I hope this can act as a catalyst for a long-overdue national campaign that seeks to reposition South Africa as a cool place to come to for a holiday,’’ said David Frost, CEO of SATSA.
Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, concluded: "We're inviting the world to come experience all we have on offer. Nowhere in the world will you find such a diverse range of experiences in such close proximity to each other. There quite simply is nowhere in the word that does it better."
Issued by Wesgro Media Team, 19 November 2018