Online platforms in vogue, but not for everyone
THE growing trend of using digital platforms to market destinations has allowed tourism authorities to continue with destination drives without a physical presence in those markets, says Thulisile Galelekile, gm of marketing, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal. Danica Helfrich, head of marketing at Travelcheck, agrees that, in a world of transparency, quick communication and easy access to information, for some tourism offices a centralised approach has proved successful for smaller source markets. “Agents can access information via welldeveloped websites and online resource centres. We do see, however, that some tourism authorities are still visiting the market via scheduled roadshows, tradeshow visits and similar, despite not having a year-round physical presence in the source market.” Jameel Karim, sales
and marketing manager of Serendipity Tours and previously marketing manager of Tourism Malaysia, says in terms of online resources, the trade has all the information they need for itinerary building and bookings, with an online platform being perfect for millennials.
He says people still frequently request information from him because they want physical material and relationshipbased transactions, especially for the baby boomers looking to travel. The e-brochures are available, but they are not as well received as the tangible alternatives. “We’ve also noticed that, with walk-in clients,
brochures are a key factor not only in selling the destination, but also for promoting it in-store, supported by posters, brochures, desk giftsand other goodies.” Philippa Piguet, representative of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority(MTPA) in South Africa, says the trade appreciates consistent engagement and support with the provision of information, training, marketing and campaign support. “They also appreciate being part of networking and business development initiatives such as roadshows, workshops and one-on-one meetings. Recognition for their hard work and efforts is equally important.” Thulisile finds a lot of tour operators look for support with regard to joint marketing agreements and for assistance in lobbying accommodation establishments to improve their rates.
KZN to reposition globall
A DURBAN-KwaZulu-Natal global re-positioning marketing campaign is in the pipeline and it has the backing of 15 big-name regional and national private-sector companies to help fund it.This public-private
partnership will co-develop a strategy to focus on growing the international market. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal’s Thulisile Galelekile says this will ensure that all key players communicate a single-minded message
to create a clear brand positioning for KZN. “This is a critical aspect for the growth of any destination. The value proposition will position Durban-KwaZulu-Natalas a destination thatcaters for trade,
investment and tourism.” The idea is to brief a globally renowned marketing company by end-July so the work on repositioning can begin in August, confirms Thulisile. “The plan is to work with an agency that has
vast experience in global destination marketing, to come up with a sound value proposition that will be used by everyone in KZN who sells the destination. This repositioning will be unveiled by April 2020.”
Road shows help to build relationships
OPERATORS and tourism authorities report that there is high value in making use of road shows as a destination marketing initiative, due to the direct interaction that they facilitate between key decision makers. “These go a long way in driving conversions, as road shows give agents first-hand information to sell a destination with great authority,” says Thulisile Galelekile of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal. TKZN will continue holding roadshows in key long-haul destinations as well as within the SADC region, adds Thulisile. “We will also continue operationalising the JMAs with tour operators in those markets.”Serendipity Tours’ Jameel Karim agrees that the main benefits are in branding. The MTPA recently concluded a national roadshow in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, with various partners who attended from Mauritius,
as well as Air Mauritius and the tour operators, says MTPA’s Philippa Piguet. “The benefits of participating include relationship building and business development.” On the flip side, however, many roadshows go on for too long, becoming monotonous and resulting in information overload. It is also difficult to try and please everyone when selecting dates and times, says Jameel. “Everything must get attention and delegates sometimes only remember the last thing they heard, the product mentioned with the funniest joke or what freebies they got.” Thulisile agrees that there are no guarantees that roadshows will lead to conversion, which can mean the ROI is unproven. “To mitigate this, the authorities and products are encouraged to make continuous follow-upswith agents to encourage them to package a destination.”
Is a physical presence still necessary?
WHILE the decision not to have a physical tourism board presence in South Africa is paying off for certain countries with developed tourism markets, others believe that a local office is an essential part of achieving growth in passenger numbers. Most tourism authorities follow a strategic approach to focus on source markets with a higher revenue stream and, unfortunately, South Africa is – in many cases – not one of the key source markets, says Danica Helfrich, head of marketing at Travelcheck. “I have previously worked with the German National Tourism Board and the Switzerland Tourism office, both of whom no longer have physical representation in SA.” According to Danica, Germany has, for example, increased visitor numbers constantly over the past ten years and seen an exponential growth on a worldwide scale, despite
pulling out of SA. Philippa Piguet of MTPA disagrees, and says the contribution that the local MTPA office makes from a destination marketing perspective creates critical awareness and demand for the destination. “This happens through our ongoing creative campaigns and interventions from a trade
relations and consumer marketing perspective,” she says. She also confirms that South Africa is a priority market for Mauritius and that it has been in the top-five source markets for more than ten years.“We have seen a yearon-year growth for the past three years, with 2,8% in 2016, 7% in 2017 and 14,2% in 2018.” Philippa believes it’s important to provide the trade with support for their initiatives as well as general destination awareness and education to help them sell the destination more effectively. “Ultimately, we are a partner to help drive success.” Jameel Karim of Serendipity Tours is also a strong advocate in favour of tourism authorities maintaining a physical presence in South Africa. He explains that even in 2014, after the Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia
disasters, the damage control, promotions, marketing and sales operations rolled out by the local tourist authority managed to mitigate negative perceptions, with South Africa ranking as one of only five countries in the world to show growth to Malaysia during that tragic period. He adds that South Africa is a springboard for the development of tourism throughout Africa and also, on occasion, the Indian Ocean islands. Therefore, when a foreign tourism board decides to exit SA, it means an exit from the continent as a whole. “After Tourism Malaysia exited SA in 2017, Malaysia saw a major decline in visitor numbers from the continent of Africa during the following year,” saysJameel. “We showcased our offerings first hand, answered questions and assisted walk-in clients/ groups. We trained
travel agents, distributed marketing material and assisted with airline and tour operator promotions. Most importantly, we hosted fam trips to get agents to sell Malaysia over its competitors. These were instrumental tools in closing deals and creating a platform for the brand in Africa.” Jameel believes Tourism Malaysia’s participation in the Travel Expo in February indicates an interest in tapping back into this market, as is the case with other tourism boards operating from their local embassies, consulates and/or other international offices tasked with looking after the African market. “In terms of Africa and SA, it depends on government intervention and the Africa desk at Tourism Malaysia headquarters. Mention was made of reopening the office in SA, however this remains to be seen. For now we play it by ear.”
Thailand adopts ABC strategy
THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is continuing in its efforts to promote emerging destinations within Thailand by adopting a simplified ‘A-B-C’ strategy creating inter-linked, theme-related travel routes that better distribute visitor flows nationwide. A – Additional: This strategy connects major destinations to nearby emerging cities. B – Brand new: Promoting new potential emerging cities. Some popular destinations can be individually
promoted thanks to their strong identity and positioning. For example, Buri Ram in the northeast has a rich Khmer heritage and is also becoming a regional hub for domestic and global sports events since the opening of the Chang Arena and Chang International Circuit C – Combined: Some emerging cities can be promoted in combination due to their proximity, shared histories and civilisations.For example Sukhothai combined with Phitsanulokand Kamphaeng Phet for a historic route.
Atout France – SA remains a priority
GOING against the trend where tourism boards are withdrawing their physical presence from South Africa, Atout France and Réunion Island Tourism Board continue to see the importance of the South African market and to access opportunities to showcase its destinations in a unique way. The challenge is that many tourism boards are repurposing international digital content for this market, particularly those who no longer have a physical presence here. Tourism boards should rather connect with South Africans in a way that is unique to them,” says Hélène Bezuidenhoudt regional director Southern Africa of Atout France,which also represents Réunion Island TourismBoard locally. Hélène thinks creativity is key to capturing the imaginations of South Africans as the market is
calling out for something different. As an example,she explains that content on the Réunion Island Tourism Board blog is written specifically for South Africa, which, she says, is a key source market for the island and one that is growing.
“France continues to maintain its position ofmost-visited country in the world. SA may not be among the top source markets, but the number of visitors is growing steadily. The French government has therefore ensured that the visa application and issuing processes are efficient because SA visitors are a
priority for France. South Africans travelling to Réunion do not require a visa.” She says sports tourism is big in France, with the French Open, Grand Prix or Tour de France always attracting visitors. “We are also looking forward to hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup.” Banyana Banyana, by participating in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, for example, promotes France every time a match is hosted in Le Havre, Paris or Montpellier, she adds. Closer to home, Hélène reminds travel consultantsto diarise the ‘Best of France’ roadshow that takes place in the week of October 7. “We look forward to introducing new tourism actors who have not yet been to SA. We consider the tourism trade in SA for France as much as for Réunion, to be essential to the development of the many destinations in our country.”
Photocap: More flights to Durba
A Route Development Committee – including TKZN – continues its work to attract direct flights to King Shaka International Airport. Its strategy and ‘Direct Durban’ logo were showcased at this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba. This provincial committee drove the campaign that led to British Airways introducing direct flights from London Heathrow to King Shaka International Airport. Since King Shaka International Airport opened nine years ago, international passenger arrivals have gone from 87 466 to 170 341 a year, due to new airlines flying direct. Phindile Makwakwa, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal acting ce, says visitors from Africa are KZN’s fastest growing source market. Of the 2017 international arrivals to KZN, 60% were from the African continent.
Book it!
The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority is running a MICE Incentive Programme for agents who sell groups of 10 or more to Mauritius. There are lots of fabulous prizes including trips to Mauritius to be won. To participate, send an email with your name, company, telephone number and email address to philippap@meropa.co.zaook it!
