SA Tourism buys 10 Sho’t Left billboard campaigns

Last year, about 14 million adult South Africans went on a trip in the country. They spent an average of R780 per trip contributing R25.8 billion to the national economy.

At the launch of Tourism Month, 2009 South African Tourism has revealed a number of interesting trends in domestic travel. Increasingly, for example, South Africans are doing their travel searches online and are shopping for all-inclusive travel packages.

This is according to Phumi Dhlomo, South African Tourism Regional Director for Africa and Domestic.

Dhlomo was speaking this morning at the launch of Tourism Month 2009 in Newtown, Johannesburg. Since the launch of the Sho’t Left website www.southafrica.net/shotleft in April 2009, he said, there has been an influx onto the site. The Sho’t Left Promotions and Deals page had become especially popular enjoying 4,700 page views a month with users specifically searching for travel packages. Out of the 16,508 page views of the site, 32% account for new visits with the average user spending five minutes on each page.

Sho't Left wall mural with Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk

“Our research indicates that the Sho’t Left target market, the young and upcoming, insist on product interaction which is why the Sho’t Left brand enhancements are online, social networking, television in the form of product placements, radio travel features and outdoor billboard campaigns,” says Dhlomo.

“We want the South African consumer to hear, feel, touch and see Sho’t Left,” he says. “Sho’t Left has embarked on an extensive marketing campaign. As of September, when you switch on to watch eTV’s top youth soap opera Rhythm City, you will be pleased to see characters Fats and Mpumi taking a Sho’t Left to Durban.”

At the same time, South Africa’s top national radio station, Metro FM, features Sho’t Left every Thursday morning. The station’s Sho’t Left Travel Feature allows the consumer to receive weekly travel tips and updates on what is happening in our local industry.

“Our social networking spaces Twitter.com/shotleft and Facebook are in place so that the market can start talking about how they see travel and what they feel about it. This feedback is essential in ensuring we deliver travel to the people in a manner that appeals to them,” Dhlomo says.

In addition, South African Tourism is taking Sho’t Left outdoors and has installed giant outdoor billboards showcasing South Africa’s picturesque travel destinations. “We have bought ten spaces along major highways in Gauteng including the N1 and M1 to promote South Africa and attract the attention of the domestic traveller. We are very serious about growing domestic tourism in South Africa, and we focus all our energies on this during Tourism Month,” says Dhlomo.

The young and upcoming market (that the Sho’t Left campaign targets) seeks creative ways to secure excellent value for money. To meet this quest, Sho’t Left has partnered with the Peermont Hotel group, Flight Centre and Computicket Travel.

These joint venture partners join others that South African Tourism already works with to promote domestic tourism… Thompson’s Tours, Southern Sun and kulula.com.

“Public private partnerships have shown themselves to be an excellent promotions tool. South African Tourism works to raise awareness about how wonderful our destination is. Our private sector partners offer the market deals that are very difficult to turn down. It is proving to be an excellent way of growing the market, and growing the number of people who travel domestically, too.”

Last year, about 14 million adult South Africans went on a trip in the country. They spent an average of R780 per trip contributing R25.8 billion to the national economy.

“Tourism Month is an excellent opportunity to travel South Africa, to experience the delights of the destination and to take advantage of the numerous special offers available to the public to celebrate tourism and the contribution it makes to the economy.”

For more information on Sho’t Left visit www.southafrica.net/shotleft.

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