Following a collaborative effort between Wesgro and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), a campaign was developed to position the Cape Karoo as a leading destination for cuisine and stargazing in the Province.

The Cape Karoo synonymous for having the most succulent Karoo Lamb and said to be one of the best places in the Southern hemisphere to view stars offered a unique opportunity to be leveraged as a  stargazing and cuisine destination.

“We needed to use this niche offering to identify tourism opportunities that could foster economic development in the region,” says Judy Lain, Chief Marketing Officer at Wesgro.

Wesgro in partnership with the tourism bodies and products in the region developed an itinerary and successfully hosted inbound operators and media on a three day educational visit to the Cape Karoo.

Day one saw the group escaping the hustle and bustle of the city as they hit the wide open road from Cape Town to Beaufort West. En route, the travelling party stopped off at the Aquila Private Game Reserve where they were treated to a scrumptious buffet lunch. The Reserve is also home to the big five. The group’s pulses were racing as they came up close and personal with elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo and leopard found at this picturesque Game Reserve near Touws River in the Cape Winelands. Just when they thought they had seen it all, they were introduced to majestic cheetahs, lions and leopard at the Animal Rehabilitation Centre also found on the Reserve. 

After a day of discovery, they reached Beaufort West where they enjoyed dinner around a fire at the farm’s boma. Here the group were left spellbound as they soaked up the tranquil atmosphere and magical views as stars blanketed the clear night skies overhead. 

The team experienced Beaufort West’s oldest mode of transport on day two, taking in the history and culture of Mandlenkosi Township with a donkey cart ride before being blown away by an Astro Tours Sunset Drive in Prince Albert. The excitement was palpable as the group viewed their second big five in the space of two days. This time around though, they were introduced to the celestial big five which included; the brightest star, the closest star, the largest globular cluster, the most beautiful open cluster and the closest galaxies - all brought to life through large telescope and binoculars.

After another full day of discovery, they overnighted at the Swartberg Hotel before taking on day three, making their way from Prince Albert to Cape Town. Before reaching their final destination, there was a need to tickle their taste buds one last time and the trip was not complete without stopping off at the Swartrivier Olive Farm for a taste of heaven before their final stop off for lunch in Laingsburg. 

Using the hashtag #capekaroo, the region and its experiences was well promoted by media across social media channels with a total of 114 people directly interacting with content that was shared by participants, more than 52 000 people had the opportunity to view these posts.

According to statistics provided by Cape Karoo Tourism Offices, a total foot count of 5 310 tourists was received in 2011. This number had decreased to 4 550 by 2013, which signalled a need for a new approach.

The campaign aims to leverage off existing attractions and products in the region in order to increase job creation and revenue. Existing attractions and products include restaurants, wine farms and The Showroom in Prins Albert; Aynsburg Nature Reserve, farm stays, ancient temples and a golf course in Laingsburg and the Karoo National Park, Donkey Tours and Nelspoort rock art in Beaufort West among others. 

“If we could work in collaboration with the products and tourism offices in the region to entice tourists for example to stay for two nights instead of one night, we would have an opportunity to double the economic impact to the region. Partnerships are key for us to be successful in our approach,” adds Lain.

According to Lain, Wesgro has already approached Aquila Game Reserve, an existing product in the region and their management has already developed star gazing activities at their reserve.

Searl Derman owner of Aquila Private Game Reserve says, “We recently added a “Star Safari” to our group of activities.  After dinner each evening the guests are invited to the “Boma” where a ranger takes them on an informal journey of the southern skies. This was well received at World Travel Market Africa (WTM) held in Cape Town earlier this year.”

He went on to say that, “Aquila has also been advocating an alternative to the traditional N2 to reach the Garden Route. The Route 62, with the incredible scenery and charming towns, not to mention the well-known wines and ports farmed along this route, makes this an exciting alternative.”