Calling on wine tourism businesses to register for #Klink2016

Wine farms and destinations are invited to register from 26 October – 8 November 2016 for a piece of the action on #SliceofSA HERE. These offerings will then be promoted to potential local and global wine tourists as of 10th November - via digital and traditional channels - enticing them to try out the destinations listed in fifteen refreshed categories, and to share/like their favourites.

WTSA has led blurring the lines between wine tourism and traditional travel marketing in the SA Winelands since the launch of the internationally recognised WTSA Travel Guide eleven years ago. WTSA launched #SliceofSA in March 2016. This new platform harnesses the global reach of digital media to enhance WTSA’s value proposition and boost year-round tourism in SA’s Winelands.

The platform showcases 300 tourism businesses from wine tourism to golf, safari, and adventure, to leverage off the lucrative wine tourism market through WTSA’s industry-leading positioning. Now the most shared and liked will compete for a spot as South Africa’s most favourite.

Klink Awards finalists will be chosen across these fifteen categories:

• (New) Best Winelands burger
• (New) Wine country cuisine
• Great pairings
• Gourmet traveller
• Out the ordinary
• (New) Boutique cellars
• Accommodation
• (New) SA wine icons
• Great outdoors
• What’s new
• (New) Best bubbly
• (New) Best events & festivals
• (New) Ultimate Winelands experience
• On the Hop
• (New) Touring

Monika Elias

The finalists will be announced in all fifteen categories on 10 December 2016, at which time a public call to vote will go live until 10 March 2017. The nomination and public voting dates are taking place later than usual this year due to the exciting new developments in the 2016 Klink Awards campaign.

POP^Klink

Another juicy update to the Klink Awards is the POP^Klink concept of pop-up events, which will now take the Winelands to the visitor by expanding their wine tourism experience. It is designed to support Klink finalists through awareness, data mining opportunities, increased foot traffic,as well as positively driving consumer tourist engagement with their wine, eateries, and farms during the festive season when most locals and visitors are looking for things to do.

“We spent time looking at potential gaps that WTSA could fill by way of offering #SliceofSA partners’ longer-term exposure within the tourism sector, as well as continuing the consumer experience offline, both during the campaign and after the announcement of the Klink winners.”

“Our aim is to always offer unparalleled value to our #SliceofSA partners, which we do by constantly evaluating and re-working marketing strategies that will provide fresh, organic brand engagement. By including the #SliceofSA platform in the Klink Awards campaign this year, both travellers and wine tourism destinations can truly interact with each other to build on-going experiences that span long after the awards,” says Monika Elias, founder of WTSA.