Despite its myriad challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has also sparked innovations and paradigm shifts which might not otherwise have been realised in the short term.
One such “new normal” is heightened digitisation – an always-on, always-connected new digital culture, which is redefining how we work, live and, crucially for our sector, how we plan to travel.
As the Eastern Cape embraces the re-opening of its domestic tourism industry, tour operators and those working to market and showcase the province must align with this reality.
Virtual events – once an unavoidable necessity during lockdown – is fast becoming the preferred alternative to physical events. This shift is being powered both by the ease and accessibility of enabling technologies (who hasn’t Zoomed yet?) – and a growing appetite, even among previously low-tech users, for the ease and safety of digitisation.
ECPTA is embracing this new paradigm by partnering with the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) for a series of virtual familiarisation tours.
“Geographic spread and growing tourism within the regions of the Eastern Cape remains one of the ECPTA’s key objectives, along with growing tourism receipts to the destination and improving seasonality,” says ECPTA CEO Vuyani Dayimani.
“This approach aligns to SATSA’s objective of injecting new energy in the tourism sector, introducing diversity and variety and ultimately catering to the needs of the tourists who are looking for unique and authentic experiences.”
To this end, ECPTA and SATSA will work together to create marketing opportunities for various products and product owners over the coming months.
This initiative was launched on 3 September with a virtual familiarisation tour featuring product from the Karoo Heartland region of the Eastern Cape.
“Through this collaboration and aligning marketing efforts, regions can reach their markets in a more powerful way than working in silos,” Dayimani says.
“To unlock the tourism potential of a region and to achieve regional growth, it is important to invite buyers to the region and showcase the variety of excellent offerings in terms of accommodation, scenery, activities and food.”
The first ECPTA/SATSA Virtual Familiarisation Tour took place during the first week of September, in which tourism product owners, primarily from the Karoo Heartland, presented to travel trade registered on the SATSA Database.
Similar events showcasing other regions of the province are in the pipeline.
Up-to-date information is the new travel and tourism currency, says SATSA CEO David Frost.
“In an uncertain environment, customers will be looking to experts for travel guidance and assurances that their travel will be as safe and seamless as possible.”
The Eastern Cape Virtual Fam aims to equip consultants with the information and knowledge they need to deliver that. Consultants will receive an excellent overview of what the region and its tourism value chain has done to safeguard their customers.
