Cape Town Press Releases

July 30, 2010

Cape Town Tourism has not rested on its laurels after the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Spurred by the need to capitalise on positive international coverage while staying top of mind with national travellers, Cape Town Tourism has launched a winter campaign called “Cape Town is Cool”.

Cape Town is taking a longer-term view regarding the impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ on the city’s tourism prospects and is confident about future growth. This comes despite the fact that visitor numbers and bookings in Cape Town, though significantly higher than those for the same period in 2009, did not live up to short-term expectations for a mid-year “peak season”.

June was a very busy but successful month for the PR and communications team: We implemented a targeted plan for hosting international media who visited Cape Town as part of their World Cup coverage. The primary reason for our hosting was two-fold: To grow our media database and to let media experience our destination firsthand. This guest relations hosting was planned with both a proactive and reactive approach.

While the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ has provided endless sporting excitement over the last month, it has also afforded South African students a month-long holiday – yet at a time when most parents and caregivers are unable to take extended leave. In response, the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) has organised and implemented a learning programme for children aged six to thirteen in five underresourced communities across the country. These programmes have provided learners with a safe, educational and fun-filled environment and access to activities focused on life skills and HIV/AIDS education. Since the start of the FIFA World Cup™ in June these programs have reached almost 1 500 children collectively.

Basking in the glow of hosting a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the Mother City’s global reputation was given a further boost at the World Travel Awards, held in Johannesburg last night, where Cape Town was named Africa’s Leading Destination. The title adds gravitas to the positive media and public perception the city has enjoyed both before and after the soccer event.