As part of our province-wide recovery efforts, ECPTA developed what has proven a highly successful destination marketing partnership with local travel authority, Travelstart.
This partnership, launched during Tourism Month, saw our two entities working closely together during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the year to showcase our wonderfully diverse province to the rest of the country, and, following the lifting of international travel restrictions, to our regional neighbours.
The campaign, which stressed affordability, accessibility and discounted offerings, included a diverse range of micro trip itineraries throughout the province. The result has proven to be exceedingly positive and has undoubtedly assisted in the province’s robust recovery trajectory.
For the period 1 September to 10 December 2020, at the conclusion of the campaign, it had yielded 2 321 accommodation bookings, and contributed to the arrival of 11 842 visitors to our province, despite their continuing to be fewer flights arriving in the province.
Top locations booked, by region, were Amatola, Sunshine Coast and Karoo Heartland, followed by the Wild Coast and Eastern Cape Highlands. Top locations, by city, were Port Elizabeth, East London and Graaff-Reinet.
“Incredibly, given the tremendous obstacles the sector has had to overcome, November bookings were at 86% compared to 2019,” says Lihle Dlamini, ECPTA’s Chief Marketing Officer.
