Cape Town hosts world's largest independent travel awards

The attendees are being accommodated at the Mount Nelson, Cape Town's luxury award winning hotel, while the main focal point of the trip, the awards dinner, takes place at the Castle of Good Hope on 7 October.

Huge marketing opportunity

According to Tim Gentry from the Guardian Newspaper Group: "Hosting the UK's most prestigious travel awards presents a huge commercial and marketing opportunity for Cape Town and for destination South Africa. South Africa's wealth of tourism possibilities will be promoted through editorial and advertising, and will be featured in special travel supplements in The Guardian and The Observer and on the Guardian Unlimited - the UK's biggest online newspaper."

"These three publications, which make up the Guardian Newspaper Group, together boast a combined readership of over four million per week. This is a highly influential audience, who are predisposed to international travel, and who spend a total of 4.1 billion pounds per annum on holiday travel," Gentry explains.

"We look forward to make the very most of this opportunity to encourage and inspire potential clients and contacts to work more closely with the South African tourism industry," says Moeketsi Mosola, CEO of South African Tourism.

Firsthand experience

"This is our chance to give representatives from the UK travel industry a firsthand experience of Cape Town and the Western Cape's exquisite tourism treasures and we want to encourage them to fully experience the charm of our city and region, and to leave as inspired and enthusiastic ambassadors for Cape Town, the Western Cape and South Africa," says David Frandsen, executive manager: marketing of Cape Town Routes Unlimited.

Feedback from industry partners has indicated that the Awards has succeeded in raising the profile of host destinations, increasing visitor numbers to the destination and enticing new travel companies to include the destination as part of their portfolio.

Feather in the cap

"Winning the bid to host an event of this magnitude and stature is 'a feather in the cap' for destination South Africa. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the South African Tourism team, South African Airways, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Mount Nelson Hotel and ECCO Tours for securing this bid, and for willingly offering the very best of their outstanding services to ensure that The Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited Travel Awards' delegates have a truly memorable time in South Africa," Mosola concludes.