Tag Archives: Flickr

Cape Town Tourism goes on holiday, contrary to its advertising slogan!

Two months ago Cape Town Tourism launched its new Ogilvy-developed advertising campaign, with the slogan ‘You don’t need a holiday, you need Cape Town’. It would appear that this slogan has not been supported by the Cape Town Tourism staff, most of whom have been on holiday over the festive period!

Seeing Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold Tweet from her Pringle Bay ‘holiday shack’, as she calls it, a year ago I was astounded that our city’s tourism bureau could close down its management over the period during which Cape Town is at its fullest.  Sadly, this is true too of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, marketing the Western Cape.   Mrs Helmbold is on maternity leave until the end of April, so can justify her time off this year.  The Communications Manager Skye Grove took a trip to the Cederberg region between Christmas and New Year, she communicated on Twitter, and the new Marketing Manager Velma Corcoran is still on leave, despite only having started with the organisation in September, surprising then that she has leave to take already!

As I have not seen a Cape Town Tourism media release for a while, the last one having been the poorly written one about the tourism performance in November, I visited the Cape Town Tourism website yesterday, and noted the following:

1.   The grammar-deficient media release is still on the website, with ‘warts’ and all, and was the last media release issued, more than three weeks ago.  Given the good tourism performance over the festive period, one would have thought that Cape Town Tourism could have written about this, and proactively supplied the paper-thin newspapers with material about Cape Town, to share with their out-of-town readers!

2.   The website contains an outdated list of accommodation ‘Winters are Cool’ specials!

3.   Blogposts on the Cape Town Tourism Blog on the website contain typing errors, if there is any writing at all, as most blogposts are a Flickr pic of the day!

4.  The biggest surprise was the poor content of the ‘Beyond Cape Town’ pages,  in that

*  there is no mention of the attractions in Stellenbosch, the largest, oldest and most visible wine region in our country, in the Cape Winelands sub-section!  Wine estate names are misspelled, and the wine estates mentioned are in Stellenbosch, but are not identified as being in this town, looking as if they could be in Franschhoek from the text!

*   in the Cape Overberg section, there is no mention of the Hermanus Wine Route (and not to be found in the Cape Winelands section either), focusing only on the whales for Hermanus. Hermanus suffers badly outside of the whale watching period, and its excellent wines could be an important means of bringing tourists and locals to the town from December – May in particular.

5.  In her ‘From the CEO’ statement on the website, Mrs Helmbold announces her five month maternity leave, with Enver Duminy heading up the operation in her absence.  Interesting is that Mrs Helmbold finally acknowledges that 2011 was ‘one of the toughest years for tourism’, having tried to counter our blogposts about this crisis months ago. Badly written, her statement suggests that ‘there is some optimism in the air’!   Mrs Helmbold does not reveal her organisation’s goals and marketing plans for 2012, but writes that ‘we have been soul-searching, and have worn our hearts on our sleeves’, an interesting and innovative marketing planning approach!  Could the Communications Manager not have corrected the poor writing, one would ask, but then she is on Twitter continuously, having little time to do any other communication work for Cape Town Tourism, it would appear!

Cape Town Tourism receives R40 million from the City of Cape Town, money which is generated from the ratepayers of Cape Town. Grant Pascoe, the (DA) City Councillor responsible for the Tourism and Events portfolios on the mayoral committee, has a most annoying habit of ignoring all e-mails, telephonic messages, and Tweets directed at him, and one wonders how the City can justify the wasted expenditure of some of the projects which Cape Town Tourism sponsored in 2011, and in not delivering on marketing Cape Town, as little marketing is likely in the next four months of Mrs Helmbold’s absence!

POSTSCRIPT 5/1: Enver Duminy, Acting CEO of Cape Town Tourism, replied today, after I called him and he read the blogpost we wrote today about the non-reaction to this blogpost: “I would like to thank you for bringing some of your website comments to my attention, and the team have been tasked to review your points and amend spelling errors and remove expired content where and when possible, and as appropriate. Thank you for highlighting  the “Beyond Cape Town” sections, which the team will look into, and with the support our LTO and RTO colleagues in the regions, provide us with updated content to populate as such”.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Social Media vital tourism communication and information source, also for Cape Town

Social Media marketing is one of the most important means of communication with potential tourists, in planning their trips, and these media are also used by them to share their holiday information experiences during and after their holidays.   This is one of the trends that Cape Town Tourism reported on its return from the “Future Day” Convention held in Berlin last week, running in conjunction with ITB (Internationale Tourismusbörse), the world’s largest travel trade fair.

The internet in general is the most important source of travel information, with 95 % of travellers searching for information on-line, and more than half booking on-line, up by 10 percentage points from 45 % in just two years.   In the USA just more than half of travellers use social media to research travel destinations and to make online bookings.  Travel tips from friends, interactive bookings and mobile travel guides are some of the social media travel applications that influence travel by travellers.  

Mobile phones play a vital part in this travel communication, because they are easily portable and accessible, unlike laptops, which are dependent on wifi access.   While on holiday or on a business trip, travellers can use their iPhones, Blackberries and other phones to find and share information about the destination.   With large increases in tourists coming from Asian countries, and China in particular (46 million travellers in 2010, and 155 million mobile Internet subscribers), and another 127 million in India, it is vital that tourism destinations such as Cape Town reach tourists via mobile phones, and smart phones in particular.   The World Travel Monitor has found that 40 % of international travellers travel with a smart  phone with internet, e-mail and other functions, with the balance holding a conventional mobile phone.   Of the smart phone users, 40 % use them to obtain destination information, and 26 % of leisure travellers and 34% of business travellers use them to change bookings while travelling.   Just more than a third of international travellers use their smart phones to access mobile social networks.   This leads to tourists posting content to their Facebook pages or Blogs, or photographs on Twitter or Flickr, whilst they are still at the destination.   In future it is likely to see that photographs and information posted will have GPS information, with screens providing travel information.

The travel and tourism trends which Cape Town Tourism brought back from ITB are the following:

*   Globalisation, demographic change and climate change are the three most important trends affecting tourism.  Climate change has created a moral debate amongst travellers about the effect of a long haul flight to a city like Cape Town on the carbon footprint, a potential threat to tourism to our country, if the local tourism industry cannot find ways to communicate to these travellers how they can offset their long-haul travel whilst in the country.  The Convention predicted that “individual carbon budgets could be in the pipeline”.  

*   The largest tourism growth has come from Asia and South America.   This year international travel is expected to grow by 3 – 4 %.  Cape Town Tourism is confident about the benefit of the massive Asian travel market, and our suitable weather in the low season to accommodate these travellers.  

*   Tourism marketing is no longer about the destination, but about the customer.  The traveller can be segmented as follows:

    *   the “too busy to care” traveller, who can not be bothered to give destination or product feedback

    *   Travellers leading complex lives and whose finances are under pressure, working harder and their leisure time reducing.

    *   Travellers looking for simplicity and a return to basics.   Their mantra is : “Slow living, slow food and slow travel”

    *   Wealthy travellers are harder to please, and set higher demands from the destinations they visit. 

*   Sustainability is now vital, and no longer a ‘nice to have’.  All elements in the tourism cycle need to be environmentally sustainable.

*   Despite an improvement in the economic well-being of the world since the recession struck three years ago, tourists are still being careful with their money.  Tourism spend is expected to increase by 7 % this year.  

*   The tourism businesses that can understand what makes their “customers tick” will be the ones that will “lead the way to prosperity”.

*   Neuromarketing is the new ‘science’ of communication, and is a recognition that up to 95 % of all decisions are made subconsciously.   Marketing communication is moving toward imagery and language that can influence the subconscious decision-making of travellers.   Four types of customers are identified:

   *   The Economical Customer relates to data, facts and efficiency

   *   The Relationship Customer relates to harmony, partnership, trust and a personal approach

   *   The Trendsetter Customer relates to opportunities, gut feeling and creativity

   *   The Exclusive Customer relates to aesthetics, quality and vision.

*   Finally, the ability to communicate in an instant is the “most interesting innovation in tourism marketing”, writes Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold.   Social Media is the communication tool which allows information to be personalised to travellers, and shared with them instantly.

To market a city brand such a Cape Town effectively, it must be authentic, it must appeal to locals first, it must have emotional pull, and must have real stories to tell, said Mrs Helmbold.   She also said that travellers spend the most time of their holiday experience in the “planning and memory phase of their holidays and sharing their experiences now takes place on Facebook and Twitter”, the holiday album becoming something of the past.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio:  www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Cape Town Routes Unlimited “begs MP’s for 2010 funding”

A report in the Cape Argus two days ago described the desperate attempt by Cape Town Routes Unlimited’s Marketing executive David Frandsen to obtain funding from Parliament for the marketing of Cape Town in Germany for the 2010 World Cup.

 

The report reflects the sad state of affairs as far as marketing Cape Town and the Western Cape province goes, and was highlighted in aWhaleTales blog report and letter to the Cape Argus about the lack of marketing of Cape Town just a few days ago.  No response was received to it from Cape Town Tourism, Cape Town Routes Unlimited or any other tourism players.

 

According to the report, the 2010 marketing campaign for Germany has been cancelled by Cape Town Routes Unlimited,  and it is likely that further 2010 marketing campaigns for the city and the province may be cancelled due to a lack of marketing funds.

 

The report states that the head of the parliamentary committee on trade and international relations said that the provincial government and the city should “‘urgently’ rethink their funding model and help where necessary”.   The City’s response, via its Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson, is that Cape Town Tourism is doing the job, and that any change in the funding can only be considered in 6 months from now.   He also referred to the collaboration that is meant to be happening between Cape Town Routes Unlimited and Cape Town Tourism, following a meeting of the CEO’s of these two organisations, and their respective political heads Alan Winde and Felicity Purchase.  The nature of the collaboration has not yet been communicated to the industry, despite the meeting having taken place more than 10 weeks ago. 

 

The Cape Argus report states that at the Cape Town Tourism/Cape Town Routes Unlimited meeting, Cape Town Routes Unlimited had been told to find alternative funding, to fill the R 24 million void created by the withdrawal of the City of Cape Town’s funding.  

 

Both tourism bodies are doing little or no marketing, in a month which sees forward bookings looking most dismal, with a projected occupancy to be the lowest this year, and worse than any September before.

 

Cape Town Tourism sent out a media release to co-incide with Tourism Month, which started on 1 September, but seems full of empty rhetoric.   “During Tourism Month, Live It, Love It, LOUDER!is focused on celebrating “My Cape Town” – an exploration of the different corners of our hometown and a window into the lives of the people who live there. Capetonians will also learn more about their hometown in readiness for the role as world cup hosts.  To showcase this personal perspective of Cape Town, the “My Cape Town” Flickr Pic competition is being launched on 1 September with the theme “This is the Cape Town I Want the World to see”.  Enthusiastic photographers and proud citizens can submit their entries via www.capetown.travel/worldtourismmonthand stand a chance of winning a cash prize of R15 000″ says Cape Town Tourism’s Mariette du Toit-Helmbold. 

 

Cape Town Routes Unlimited got some Capetonians together, and taught them how to do the Diski-dance, in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.   Cape Town Routes Unlimited has also just launched a “Beyond the 90 Minutes” campaign, to encourage soccer fans to visit other parts of the Western Cape when they come to Cape Town to see the matches.   Six themed itineraries, including Adrenaline Adventure; Gourmet; Culture and Heritage; Natural Beauty;  Body, Mind & Spirit; and Cosmopolitan Vibe have been presented on the www.tourismcapetown.co.za website.   Locals and the media are also addressed on the ‘Beyond the 90 Minutes’ section of the website, and special accommodation offers are promoted for this month already.

 

Cape Town Routes Unlimited has also launched a World Cup 2010 Soccer Fan competition.  “South African soccer fans are known for their outrageous, fun and colourfully decorated costumes and accessories worn at matches to show support for their favourite team. Soccer fans from other countries attending the 2010 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ in South Africa are also expected to come all decked out in support of their national side.  CTRU is looking for the liveliest, most inspired and colourful pictures of fans at soccer matches from around the world. All they have to do is post their best photo on the ‘Beyond the 90 Minutes’ Flickr group at www.flickr.com before 31 October 2009. Not only do they stand the chance to win a Cape Town and Western Cape 2010 travel package worth R50 000 including accommodation and meals, but also a special, limited edition makarapa (a decorated miners’ helmet unique to South African soccer fans and fast becoming a ‘must-have’ fashion item) of their very own”  says the Cape Town Routes Unlimited media release.

 

Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com