Gauteng flexes muscles to strengthen brand

“There is a lot of efforts being made at the moment to market Gauteng as a prime destination for tourism in South Africa despite various challenges,” GTA acting CEO Mpho Moeti said yesterday, Tuesday, 22 September 2009.

“Working closely”

“We are working closely with various stakeholders, including local tourism offices and South African Tourism, to ensure that we don't send mixed messages when profiling the province.”

Tourism is a joint responsibility, Moeti said, calling on the media to give a helping hand in ‘spreading the love' out there and eradicating the perception that Gauteng, especially Joburg, is the Gangsters' Paradise (GP). “We want to move with you. Your role is key to helping us achieve our goals, more especially in working hard to bring Gauteng closer to communities,” Moeti pointed out.

“It is cool to travel. Memories of travel linger forever and tourism is about people. So, there is a lot of connection that can be established with local people when visiting.”

GTA head of research and ICT unit Khumbu Sithole echoed Moeti's sentiments, saying, “We ask the media to help us mobilise communities to visit their own backyard, and educate them to eradicate the misleading myth that tourism is expensive and only a thing for the well-off.”

Media discovery tour

As part of Tourism Month, the GTA yesterday, Tuesday 23 September, took the media to a discovery tour throughout Gauteng to visit top touristic attractions, which included stops at the Ke-ditselana Multi-Cultural Village on the East Rand and having a buffet lunch while cruising aboard a luxurious cruiser on the Vaal River.

“Some of our strategies include bidding for major international events in collaboration with big hotels, and once we win we plan itinerary tours to places of interests for delegates,” Charity Assan, of GTA destination marketing, told Bizcommunity.com yesterday as the cruiser zigzagged peacefully on the Vaal River.

World tourism has grown considerably in the past five years up to last year, with international arrivals up by 1.8%, but declining in the second-half of 2008 by 1%, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

Gauteng's coffers got R19 billion from international tourism (the bulk coming from Africa), and some R5 billion from domestic tourism last year, Sithole told Bizcommunity.com.

Positive trend

But, that positive trend seemed to be evaporating with media reports of gruelling violence perpetrated against African foreigners and other tourists.

Assan said, “The good thing about GTA is that we guarantee the safety of our delegates, thanks to our collaboration with security agencies which provide extra-security wherever delegates go.

“We want to ensure that the brand Gauteng is kept alive and going in people's minds.”

For more information, go to www.visitgauteng.travel.