Cape Town visitor numbers drop each year during the off-peak period from May to September. This seasonality has a serious effect on the sustainability of many tourism enterprises. This in turn affects the sustainability and security of employment within the sector during the low season as many tourism enterprises are unable to sustain their full workforce over this period.

Cape 365 is a programme specifically aimed at stimulating travel during the off-peak period. The programme defines five compelling, weather-immune propositions:

1. Pamper – including world-class spas and health services
2. Play –  involving the diverse winter sporting activities, from golf and shark diving to watching local and international sports events
3. Food & Fireplace – enjoying the exceptional Cape food and wine
4. Super-natural – experiencing eco-tourism and scenic natural beauty
5. Sound, Stage & Style – the rich array of arts and culture, brought to life through theatre, fashion, music and concerts

Cape 365 specifically targets visitors from South Africa’s domestic market and African or regional markets, business and events travellers.

A variety of marketing activities and programmes are undertaken to ensure that these markets are targeted.

Seasonality is one of the most problematic but least understood aspects of tourism. Many destinations suffer from this phenomenon every year, yet limited efforts have been made to overcome the troublesome issue.

Some examples of successful strategies in other destinations are:

• In Scotland, the destination marketing agency (DMA) and wildlife tourism operators market all four seasons and highlight wildlife that can be seen in each season. The impact of weather is mitigated using this approach. See Visit Scotland
• In Norway, the DMA and Norwegian operators sell stormy weather as an experience of true nature with stunning light and colours to mitigate seasonality. See Visit Norway
• Scandinavian Tourism has worked with operators and the state to ensure that all campsites have both dry and wet weather facilities. This means that visitors can enjoy the campsites throughout the year

Some important learnings from these destinations include:

• Allocating additional spend to promote off-peak and “shoulder” season opportunities
• Developing and offering additional facilities and attractions for different seasons
• Developing events, festivals and conferences during less popular months
• Developing new market segments for low seasons including conferences, short breaks, and elderly and affinity groups
• Adjusting prices to attract groups and the more budget-conscious travellers in the “shoulder” and low seasons
• Attracting domestic visitors during the low seasons