"Seasonality remains the biggest threat to our tourism industry. For many, having been introduced to Cape Town through picture perfect views of Table Mountain and the city's many beaches means that the Mother City is seen primarily as a summer destination. Many perceptions exist around winter being an undesirable time to visit," CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold explains. "This is a critical issue for an industry that employs more than 300 000 people and is the second largest contributor to the Western Cape's GDP."
Cape Town Tourism's winter campaign focuses on the domestic market with the aim of stimulating short city breaks that demonstrate the great value Cape Town has to offer - with varied activities, events, affordability and accessibility being key drivers to sell the diverse winter offering of the city.
"Locals and repeat visitors to Cape Town, know the Mother City differently. They know about the diverse food and wine offerings, the adventure activities and breaks in the rain that allow for a day on the beach in the middle of winter; they know the creative side of Cape Town, the shopping and the city's diverse collection of friendly people that are always ready to share their stories and introduce the visitor to the unexpected Cape Town. These are the elements our winter campaign will focus on, as well as the message that Cape Town offers accommodation and activities to suit different budgets and markets, always at great value," Du Toit-Helmbold continues.
Through "Discover why Cape Town warms up in winter", Cape Town Tourism will spotlight its arts, culture, heritage, food and wine attractions, as well as what to do outdoors during the milder months. In addition, Cape Town Tourism is partnering with Thompson Tours, Mango Airlines and local tourism products to package short city breaks around three major events in order to showcase Cape Town's winter offerings. Focus events this year are the Good Food & Wine Festival taking place from 24-27 May, Cape Town Fashion Week from 25-28 July and the Cape Town Marathon taking place on 23 September.
