Recent E-Tourism conference successful
According to William Price, global manager: E-Marketing South African Tourism (SAT), the recent E-Tourism Africa Summit held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre afforded the organisation the opportunity to show the industry the value of its national tourism database and how it could boost exposure of both products and trade.
"It was a platform for delegates to experience first-hand the growing power and impact of social media in the global tourism sector. From booking holidays, to experiencing a host country or city, right through to sharing their experiences, the trend is that consumers are utilising the online space to search plan, pay, manage and tell stories of their travels.
Harnessing the experiences of four ordinary couples
"The event was not only an opportunity to engage with other stakeholders in the global e-marketing space, but to also highlight the global online campaigns, such as '20 Experiences in 10 Days'."
The campaign, launched in October 2010, is an online and offline campaign that harnesses the experiences of four ordinary couples from four different countries while on holiday in South Africa. Unscripted videos of the couples meant SAT could capture Reality-TV-style footage of the participants. Price reveals that the campaign has already gone live on the BBC and CNN, as well as on social media platforms such as Facebook and Wayn.com.
To underscore the power of real-life experiences, SAT and Cape Town Tourism sponsored a 3-D aerial filming of tourism treasures, such as Table Mountain, Greenpoint Stadium and the harbour. The 3-D imaging will be used to profile Cape Town at the November World Travel Market in London. "This is an exciting opportunity to bring the South African offering to international travel partners," he concludes.
It was the first time the summit was held in Cape Town and it was hosted by SAT, along with Cape Town Tourism and a partnership with E-Tourism Frontiers.
