Cube with a 2010 view

click to enlarge

The wall mural is a project of SAT in partnership with regional destination marketing organisations Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) and Durban Tourism. According to Peter Bendheim, project executive at Durban Tourism, it is hoped that The Cube will become an important tourist lookout spot in 2010.

Explained Van Schalkwyk, “Local tourism is the mainstay of any national tourism industry. South Africa's recent successful hosting of a variety of events ranging from sporting events like the IPL Tournament and Confederations Cup to arts festivals and large conferences gives South Africans every reason to be proud of their country as a destination.

“Our Sho't Left campaign, which is now in its fifth year, educates South Africans about the benefits of travelling in their own country and aims to inspire them to explore. The campaign also makes it easier for South Africans to travel domestically by offering value for money packages through joint marketing agreements with the local travel trade,” said van Schalkwyk.

“Inspirational nature”

“The mural we are unveiling today as part of the Sho't Left campaign is a visual representation of the inspirational nature of the campaign. The current Sho't Left campaign aims to grow the number of young domestic travelers.

“The young artists who have created this artwork have given a vibrant and graphic representation of our destination that will appeal to other young people. It also gives Durban residents a beautiful, engaging and celebratory portrayal of our country to look at as they go about their daily business,” continued van Schalkwyk said.

It is the second such work of mural wall art to be unveiled in South Africa, painted by a collaborative group of Durban artists, known for the Human Rights wall painting at the International Convention Centre Durban. The first, in Newtown, Johannesburg, was unveiled last year. KwaZulu-Natal was chosen for the second phase of the mural project as in 2008 it received the largest number of domestic tourists of all nine provinces.

According to Van Schalkwyk, the short haul and domestic tourism markets are proving to be very lucrative and valuable to South Africa and consequently these markets must be nurtured and developed.

Largest source

According to a press statement, short-haul tourists - domestic tourists and tourists from African land markets - remains SA's largest source of both visitors and tourism revenue.

“Despite the international economic downturn, our local tourism industry has managed to keep its head above the water and has in fact performed well amidst difficult circumstances. Foreign arrivals to South Africa reached an all time high of more than 9.5 million in 2008 and we will undoubtedly reach our target of 10 million foreign arrivals in 2010,” the minister said.

“It is important to understand, however, that in order to continue to build a sustainable tourism industry, we cannot rely on foreign arrivals too heavily, as this market can be very volatile. In this respect, it is extremely encouraging that short-haul tourism has been performing so well.

“In fact, African land markets drove our growth in arrivals in 2008, with 460 000 arrivals, which represents growth of 7% over 2007. In terms of domestic tourism, 14 million South Africans travelled domestically in 2008, which is one million more than in 2007. Although the number of trips declined by 8% to 2007, the total annual spend on domestic tourism in 2008 increased in real terms by 17% to R25.8 billion,” he said.

“We understand from the latest domestic tourism figures that under the current market conditions, many South Africans and visitors from short-haul markets are again discovering their own backyards, so to speak. Visitors are again realising the exceptional value for money South Africa offers as a destination, and we must step up our efforts to boost domestic tourism,” he added.

About the Sho't Left campaign

• Sho't Left is a term used by passengers to taxi drivers indicating where they wish to get off the vehicle. It was adopted by SAT when the organisation launched its domestic travel campaign in 2004. Six years later, according to SAT, the term has come to mean a short trip or quick getaway.

• In September 2008, SAT unveiled its new Sho't Left campaign which showcases SA as a fun, affordable, easy-to-do destination, for young people who want to travel.

• The campaign consists of a number of television adverts that star young people experiencing travel in each of SA's provinces. Because the campaign targets young people, it strongly features adventure, entertainment and nightlife.

• The campaign, originally consisting of 13 two-minute vignettes, has been edited down to one minute television ads airing through July on channels SABC 1, 2 and 3.

• In 2009, Sho't Left partnered with popular youth television soapie Rhythm City on e.tv, showcasing select characters taking a Sho't Left. A first on-location shoot for Rhythm City, the city of choice for the episodes is Durban and flights from August 2009. The episodes will flight throughout the month of September only, in aid of Tourism Month.