Rather belatedly the Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk launched a new update of the Sho’t Left campaign last week to coincide with Tourism Month, this time with the theme ‘Nothing’s more fun than a Sho’t Left’, which may leave many local non-taxi using tourists uninspired about discovering new parts of our country. Whilst the campaign may be well timed given the cost of overseas travel as a result of the exchange rate, it is too late to help the tourism industry in surviving what has been one with the worst winter occupancy ever.
The meaningless Domestic Tourism campaign name is derived from ‘everyday South African “taxi lingo”. A commuter wanting a ride to a destination close by will say “Sho’t left, driva” – meaning, I want to jump off just around the corner‘, explains the previous website for the campaign, which was first launched in 2007. The Tourism Minister and his department want to emphasise the fun of a local getaway and to encourage locals to take short breaks. Unfortunately the new website for the campaign has no wording, coming across as ‘Mickey Mouse’, only having headings for accommodation types, accommodation price categories, and provinces, within which numerous offers are listed, just a deal site. The logo for the campaign is equally uninspiring, exactly the opposite of what the campaign intends!
The media statement about the campaign launch of ‘Nothing’s More Fun than a Sho’t Left‘ goes on about the benefits of the campaign: it ‘ brings the fun back to travel. It reminds South Africans that taking a holiday, even for a night or two, gives benefits that endure: great memories, quality time with loved ones, well-deserved escapes from dull routine, and a chance to experience new places, new people and new things. The campaign also offers a number of holiday packages: deals that have been engineered in partnership with South African Tourism’s travel trade partners to deliver the fun, easy, accessible and affordable holidays that Nothing’s More Fun than a Sho’t Left promises’.
The campaign features Dr Malinga, who describes himself as ‘House, afropop/jazz n gospel,song writer/composer energetic performer artist ‘ on his Twitter Bio, as Tourism Ambassador taking a group of friends around the country, experiencing the beauty, friendliness and awesomeness that South Africa offers tourists. The campaign TV commercials will be flighted from this week onwards, showing the group road-tripping around South Africa, making spontaneous stops to take in the scenery, enjoying local hospitality and flavours, taking a shower under a waterfall, and having a beach braai at sunset, the type of activities that locals can enjoy and which are affordable.
‘In 2012, 12.5 million adult South Africans took 25.4 million trips and spent an average of 4.8 nights away from home per trip. Last year’s tourism growth definitely confirms that our investment in tourism promotion and campaigns are bearing fruit. South Africa’s tourism growth rate, that’s well above the global growth rate, justifies the need to celebrate tourism. This industry contributes 2.9 percent directly and nine percent overall to our GDP’, Minister van Schalkwyk said.
The media statement praises the success of the past campaigns, and contains this nonsensical sentence: ‘ This, the freshest phase of the campaign, works to instil the sense of lifetime value that comes from taking regular breaks‘! The Minister admitted that the 2012 ‘VayaMzansi’ campaign was less successful, from market research conducted: ‘Vaya Mzansi did a good job. But it was limited in its reach and in components of its message. Market research found that we needed to up our messages of value, accessibility, and the sheer fun of a South African holiday. As a result, the Nothing’s More Fun Than a Sho’t Left campaign was born‘.
Minister van Schalkwyk described September Tourism Month as follows: ‘It’s an era in which the whole nation will get out there and experience the fun and sheer wonder of a South African holiday’. It would appear that the special deals of the campaign may apply to September only, but this is not mentioned on the website nor in the Minister’s media statement. The name of the campaign and its ambassador choice makes it clear which segment of the South African population the Domestic Tourism campaign is aimed at!
‘Nothing’s More Fun than a Sho’t Left‘, www.shotleft.co.za Twitter: @Shotleft
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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Good synopsis. You have however used the wrong website address; its http://www.shotleft.co.za (web). The one you have used is aimed for mobile users with ‘legacy’ phones (not smart phones).
Thanks so much Hans. I have corrected it.