ECPTA’s international marketing efforts used to focus solely on working within the trade channel utilising trade exhibition platforms in key markets and / or participating in travel trade roadshows organised by South African Tourism. These platforms enabled ECPTA to engage directly with tour operators and travel agents already selling South Africa. The focus was to educate them on the Eastern Cape Provincial tourism offering thus broadening the scope of the itineraries they offer to consumers and increasing the number of bed nights spent within the destination. However, with the rise of the fourth industrial revolution and high-capacity connectivity being at every consumers fingertips, ECPTA took a conscious decision to have an active presence in the market place through directly targeting international consumers.
ECPTA identified the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Germany as three key markets to target in terms of launching a consumer campaign to drive destination awareness of product offerings in the Eastern Cape. These source markets were identified as key, based on the high repeat rate of travel out of them, and that they rank as the top three in terms of international arrivals to South Africa. ECPTA engaged with South African Tourism to gain some insights into consumer behaviour in these markets. South African Tourism advised that in terms of consumer targeting they focus on the following two segments:
- Intrepid Travellers
- Repeater Segment
97% of both segments utilise the Internet to search for information over any other channel.
The following insights are noted:
| Repeater Segment Insights: | Intrepid Traveller Insights |
|
1. Ambitious and risk-taking adventurers who are up for any kind of fun and thrill
2. It’s about incomparable experiences with diverse activities that let them enjoy life up close 3. Influenced by trending topics, inspired by sponsoring and influencers |
| Repeater Segment Values: | Intrepid Travellers Values |
|
|
| Demography | Demography |
| 59 % Male
61 % Married or living with a partner Age: 50 – 60+ |
61 % Male
34 % Living Alone / Single Age: 20 – 40 and 60 + |
The key objectives of the campaign were to:
- Create website traffic.
- Showcase and feature bespoke content to align to a target market interest.
- Showcase bookable travel packages.
Here are links and results of the various campaigns:
- https://visiteasterncape.co.za/unveiling-the-eastern-cape-embark-on-an-unforgettable-sustainable-adventure-experience-in-south-africa/
- Das Ostkap entdecken: Erlebe unvergessliche nachhaltige Abenteuer in Südafrika – Visit Eastern Cape
Through a targeted campaign the following number of impressions were recorded per market:
| Market | Impressions |
| United Kingdom | 196 958 |
| United States of America | 169 650 |
| Germany | 143 693 |
| Total Impressions | 510 301 |
https://visiteasterncape.co.za/explore-the-eastern-cape-south-africa-virtually/
https://visiteasterncape.co.za/entdecke-das-ostkap-sudafrika-virtuell/
| Market | Impressions |
| United Kingdom | 189 033 |
| United States of America | 275 775 |
| Germany | 362 033 |
| Total Impressions | 825 821 |
https://visiteasterncape.co.za/eastern-cape-south-africa-adverture-culture-and-wide-open-spaces/
| Target Country | Reach | Impressions |
| Germany | 81 847 | 133 075 |
| United Kingdom | 77 790 | 117 582 |
| TOTAL | 159 637 | 230 657 |
https://visiteasterncape.co.za/international-consumer-campaign/
https://visiteasterncape.co.za/international-consumer-campaign-german/
| Market | Impressions |
| United Kingdom | 326 646 |
| United States of America | 213 480 |
| Germany | 288 303 |
| Total Impressions | 828 429 |
