Industry Blog – Cape Town Tourism

The impact of the Dewani incident on local tourism

In the last weeks and days (and especially in the light of new speculations and revelations surfacing almost hourly), I have been asked by national and international media as well as members of our tourism industry to comment on the effect of the Dewani tragedy on tourism in Cape Town.

Tourism industry surveys reveal cautious optimism for summer 2010/2011

Cape Town Tourism has launched a series of tourism surveys to better understand and prepare for the summer season ahead.

Cape Town to host SITE international conference

Cape Town International Convention Centre will host the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives (SITE), a global non-profit organisation dedicated to improving incentive travel, for their international conference from December 4 to 7, 2010.

Relais & Châteaux Association holds 36th annual congress in the Mother City

The Relais & Châteaux Association – a collection of some of the world’s finest hotels and restaurants – held its 36th annual congress in the Mother City on November 9, 2010.

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The vibe from abroad: Another world travel market, another challenging destination

WTM is over for another year and the exhibitors scatter to the winds, back to their offices, exhausted after four days of intense smiling, late nights, too much coffee and unhealthy dining.

When WTM moved from Earls Court to ExCeL in 2002, the uproar was deafening and included such memorable reasons why it was all so bad; “I will have to travel east when I arrive at Victoria station” and another horror “where on earth is ExCeL?”. So it was with a mixture of amusement and sadness that I find these sentiments still very much in evidence in 2010. Smug exhibitors staying in west London were clearly feeling self-satisfied compared to those unfortunate souls having to make do with the local accommodation options.

Yente Business Network Forum a big success

More than 100 businesswomen from Cape Town and surrounds came to Strand Tower Hotel on November 4 for the Business Network Forum organised by the Yente Foundation. A Yente trade mission was in South Africa for the event, which followed on similar forums in Polokwane and Johannesburg, with a delegation of 15 female entrepreneurs from Peru, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Netherlands.

SANParks announces changes to its Wild Card programme

South Africa National Parks (SANParks) has announced changes in the management of its Wild Card programme, to be implemented in early 2011, and urges current cardholders to update their contact details accordingly. The Wild Card affords nature lovers unlimited access to some of Southern Africa’s premier conservation areas.

Who are our backpackers?

As part of a joint research project, the City of Cape Town, Backpacking South Africa and the South African Youth Travel Confederation have produced a document that delves into who the average backpacker is, how they get around and how to shape an action plan that will promote, facilitate and develop this growing niche market.

Media, PR and Guest Relations update - November 2010

A recent survey (conducted by Capeinfo.com) found that 94.03% of sampled World Cup visitors said that South Africa exceeded their expectations and 97.01% would recommend the destination to family and friends. 88.06% also felt safe during their visit. Similar findings by Cape Town Tourism showed that visitors were pleasantly surprised by how safe, organised and friendly the city was.

Marketing update: November 2010

Cape Town Tourism’s I ♥ Cape Town Facebook fan page continues to set the standard for the use of social media for city marketing in South Africa. The fan page had over 150 400 fans on November 1, 2010.