The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) is making it easier for trade partners to sell #RooftopGP experiences, with plans to package and geolocate some of the province’s most Instagrammable social spaces and breathtaking views.
Rooftop experiences have become a hallmark of big-city tourist destinations across the world. They are also a major component of the GTA’s strategy to stimulate domestic tourism and help the tourism industry to recover.
GTA CEO, Sthembiso Dlamini, said: “By packaging these rooftops into must-experience offerings, they can be added into our travel trade partners’ itineraries.”
A new #RooftopGP digital route map is to be integrated with the tourism board’s new website, which users can use to find rooftop experiences in five ‘regional corridors’ and suburbs. The GTA has profiled at least 22 different venues that have different offerings for leisure and business events.
Dlamini said: “With this platform, we hope to implement a dedicated marketing drive that leverages our urban city vibe positioning and its related activities.”
Seven of the best rooftops
Top #RooftopGP locations featured in a summary by the GTA include:
*RooftopBBQ Illovo, next door to Sandton, recommended for “magnificent golden sunsets with breathtaking, 360-degree views”.
*RooftopBBQ Maboneng is celebrated as “a unique experience of South African urban culture”. RooftopBBQ said: “Maboneng is located in the heart of the biggest city in Africa and was recently rated amongst the 12 coolest neighbourhoods to visit in the world by Forbes Magazine. Maboneng precinct is a collaborative hub of culture, business and lifestyle that entices curiosity, encourages exploration, promotes a sense of urban togetherness and provides a creative take on history, architecture and nature.”
*Alto 234 at the Leonardo in Sandton is already famous as the highest urban rooftop bar in Africa.
*The Living Room in culture-rich Maboneng, boasts a tropical forest in the sky and is described as an ideal sundowner destination. “Customers love Sunday afternoons with the market streets below, or when there is live music,” the GTA said.
*Marble, in Rosebank, features a large menu and decor that’s mostly marble. It’s ideal for special meals and celebrations. There is capacity for 250 dining scene enthusiasts and a roof-top terrace with a panoramic view that stretches over Johannesburg’s urban forest towards the majestic Magaliesberg mountains.
*Elevate is described as “hot and trendy”. It’s a venue in Marshalltown, perched on top of the Reef Hotel in the heart of Johannesburg, offering 360-degree views of the city skyline. Elevate is also a popular event venue, says GTA, with capacity for 350 guests or 150 people seated. Opening hours are from 15h00 until midnight. An owner’s description of the popular local EatOut platform described Elevate clientele as follows: “The venue is furnished white against the night, attracting cool men in the jewels and the women in body-con.” Body con? Read here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body-con
*Kool Out Rooftop is another rooftop venue that’s hot on the GTA’s radar. It hosts one of the city’s most anticipated monthly events, the GTA says, with international guest DJs, aesthetic views, innovative visuals, and a new approach to music. Kool Out Rooftop is in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.
