Visa's #NotATourist campaign unleashes the imagination of travellers to Africa

Running in key Middle East and African markets including, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Senegal until 31 August, 2015, the campaign provides cardholders with real and rich destination related information to help plan their travel as well as access to Visa's global merchant offers and exclusive promotions.

The NotATourist campaign is designed to inspire travel beyond the regular tourist sites to savour truly local experiences that are the essence of making a destination unique. For some, a walk in a local African market might be equivalent to a stride in the Champs-Élysées and others might find a ride on an elephant as comfortable as riding the London Bus. As travellers experience unforgettable moments, Visa remains the gateway to an array of offers that give cardholders the ability to maximise their joy and access to thousands of attractions that unlock the secrets of their preferred destinations.

The campaign is poised to help travellers explore destinations as local inhabitants - not as tourists - by providing local knowledge using crowdsourced digital content that is showcased on Visa's NotATourist website and the Visa Explore mobile app. Downloading the Visa Explore Application from Apple Store or Google Play will ensure that travellers will stay informed with the most updated Visa offers and opportunities, ATM locations, and valuable information for cardholders. The application, through a variety of sections, serves as a companion for all Visa cardholders who enjoy security, convenience, and acceptance at tens of millions of merchants worldwide.

NotATourist also offers travellers a platform to describe the many facets of a destination by sharing their own images, videos, posts and comments, making them ambassadors or tour guides of their favourite travel spots. Visa will supplement the crowdsourced content with essential travel information and its global merchant offers across destinations.

The #NotATourist campaign signifies the innovation of the Visa brand; the fifth most valuable global brand according to MillwardBrown, as it helps travellers to associate with the destinations and provokes their imagination for a memorable experience.

"Travellers often desire a taste of local culture and attractions that are hard to find in travel books or with a guided tour. The #NotATourist campaign tries to build on this desire, by connecting people and their experiences through unleashing the imagination of the traveller to interact with the beauty of the destination," says Karim Beg, Head of Marketing at Visa Middle East and North and West, Central Africa. "The most important highlight of this campaign is that we are able to communicate with the hearts and minds of African travellers and help them appreciate the hidden treasures of the places they visit.

"As a global payments technology company, we believe in the power and reach of mobile applications, to tap in to the large population of smartphone users, mostly millennials who can effectively influence other aspirational travellers in the same age group."

The #NotATourist campaign ties in with Visa's efforts to promote tourism in Africa, through partnerships with government authorities, financial institutions and merchants. In addition, Visa also invests in enhancing travel experiences through safe and convenient payment solutions, and a wide selection of benefits and privileges for travellers.

Beg added: "The Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015 shows that travellers are more digital-savvy than ever before, with 78% of global travellers using digital information while planning their trips, and 66% resorting to digital sources for travel tips at the destination. This is a phenomenal representation of the impact of digital engagement on the travel sector, and one of the main drivers for our efforts with NotATourist. Besides driving home the message of safe and convenient payments with Visa at target markets, we also want NotATourist to start a conversation with people on easy, unique and fulfilling cross-border travel."

Download the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015

For more information visit www.corporate.visa.com