“As a destination marketing agency, forming collaborations through hosting initiatives gives us the opportunity to provide visitors with a personalised experience in our city which they can take home to share with their friends, families, and colleagues. Sharing their positive memories and experiences serve as the perfect marketing tool for Nelson Mandela Bay, as their opinions and impressions are shared, largely using digital platforms with great international reach,” shared NMBT CEO Mandlakazi Skefile.
Through collaborations with South African Tourism and the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, first-hand knowledge of Nelson Mandela Bay’s unique offerings are shared with trade operators who are then able to confidently sell travel packages to their respective markets. This also opens the city up to the prospect of international marketing opportunities, utilising traditional advertising streams (TV, radio and print media) and digital marketing platforms such as WeChat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, which reach large volumes of prospective visitors in international countries.
Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism has successfully established beneficial relations through hosting groups from countries such as China, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom to name a few, providing them with meaningful experiences and fun activities, which include: experiencing the Bottlenose Dolphin Capital of the world, visiting the Mohair Headquarters, exclusive township tours and experiencing the city’s rich cultural heritage, among many others. International collaborations aim make significant inroads into the global travel market, creating positive spin-offs for the local economy and businesses which operate in the restaurant, accommodation, transport and entertainment industries of Nelson Mandela Bay.
In a recent visit, a Spanish television crew was hosted by NMBT, where they spent five days in and around the city filming a travel, cultural, cuisine and ultra-running documentary series (CHILOÉ). Time was spent at the Addo National Elephant Park shooting the 76KM Addo Elephant Trail Run, highlighting NMB’s interesting combination of urban resources, diverse cultures, and nature. The crew also spent time touring the city, capturing footage of Route 67, Fort Frederick, Market Square, Jetty Street, City Hall and the Donkin Reserve.
“Forming collaborations with the Spanish television crew gives Nelson Mandela Bay amazing exposure on an international platform. The 50-minute documentary (CHILOÉ) will be aired to approximately 60,000 Spanish viewers and around 95,000 radio listeners,” said Skefile.
A UK Trade Group, comprising of international trade partners such as Discover the World, Newells Travel, BA Holidays and Highworth Travel, among others, will be hosted by NMBT in April. The group will spend time at the SA Marine Rehab & Lighthouse, followed by a relaxing Sun Set Beach Cruise. In addition, the group will also visit the Pumba Private Game Reserve and Bridge Street Breweries.
In May, NMBT will welcome a Japanese visiting family, documenting their experiences and memories along the way. Among their planned activities, the family will visit Route 67 at the Donkin Reserve, tour the Mohair Headquarters, enjoy shopping at Baywest Mall and experience nature at its finest with an Ocean Safari Tour. Collaborations with the Asian Travel Market have grown over the past few as a direct result of hosting initiatives such as these.
