The Western Cape government is using the newly launched “We Are Open” tourism campaign to attract domestic travellers.
Together with Wesgro, the team hosted events in Johannesburg and Durban to showcase their new campaign videos.
They unveiled 7 “We Are Open” campaign videos which each showcase a unique region of the Western Cape and compares it to an international equivalent.
Travellers can now experience Sweden, Nevada and Greece among others while in the province.
Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, said the campaign encouraged travellers from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to visit the Western Cape.
"As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on international travel, there are many whose plans to travel abroad can no longer go ahead. And so, the “We Are Open” campaign asks them to consider travelling to Cape Town and the Western Cape instead and take advantage of our beautiful natural and cultural assets that rival the likes of Italy, Sweden, France, Bali and more.
"By building awareness and ensuring a broad reach of the travel message, the “We Are Open” campaign is supported by a mix of social content, digital display advertising and local influencers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The campaign will encourage holidaying experiences through targeted and compelling holiday promotions," he said.
Maynier said that the province was affordable for all South Africans
"Many tourism businesses in the Western Cape that have signed-on to the “Kids Stay Free” initiative. With offers for children to stay free at participating travel and accommodation partners across the Western Cape, there is no doubt that the Western Cape is also a family-friendly, value for-money holiday destination.
“We’d like to ask those living in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to consider visiting Cape Town and the Western Cape to experience a world within one province. That is why I’m so excited about our “We Are Open” campaign which showcases each of our unique regions in the Western Cape and highlights how you can get that “faraway feeling” when you visit us.
“We look forward to welcoming travellers from both provinces this summer season," he added.
Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, said: "Many people’s international holidays were cancelled due to the lockdown. Cape Town and the Western Cape is full of experiences that match some of the world’s favourite destinations and we want to show people just how diverse and world-class it truly is. This campaign will highlight our world-class locations, where you will feel like you could be anywhere in the world.”
With a total of 75 373 domestic passenger arrivals at Cape Town International Airport for the first three weeks of October 2020, the province hopes to see numbers increase as the festive season draws closer.
Here are the destinations you will ’experience’ in the Western Cape:
Sweden
Copenhagen
Bali
Italy
French Riviera
Greece
Nevada