Cape Town launches India marketing blitz

Yesterday

City officials, Taj Hotel staff, tourism business partners and representatives of India at the launch of the Choose Cape Town campaign. Source: City of Cape Town

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The City of Cape Town has set its sights on India’s rapidly growing outbound tourism market with a new marketing campaign aiming to attract visitors.

This March, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth James Vos will lead a high-level delegation, including representatives of Cape Town Tourism and CapeBPO, to key cities in India. The visit will aim to position Cape Town as a premier destination for Indian tourists and businesses with focus on expanding tourism, securing direct flights and attracting investment.

Vos highlighted the significance of this initiative, citing projections that India’s outbound travel market will reach 39 million travellers by 2028 – up from 28.2 million in 2023. Additionally, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Economic Impact 2024 report estimates that Indian outbound travel spend will more than double to US$76.8 billion by 2034. This indicates that India is the seventh-largest travel spender globally. South Africa welcomed only 79 774 Indian travellers in 2023, Vos pointed out.

The visit follows implementation of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs. Currently available for India and China, the TTOS simplifies visa applications for group travellers through vetted tour operators.

A key objective of the delegation’s visit is to expand flight connectivity. Meetings with major tour operators and airline executives will advocate for a direct India-Cape Town route expected to significantly boost tourism, trade and business relations.

Billboard and online marketing campaign

As part of the “Choose Cape Town” campaign, the delegation will unveil billboards in high-traffic locations across Mumbai –featuring QR codes linking to the “This is Cape Town” platform providing exclusive travel deals and information on Cape Town’s attractions.

Additionally, the city’s Place Marketing and Tourism branch will launch digital marketing campaigns targeting Indian travellers online – highlighting Cape Town’s cultural heritage, cuisine, communities and investment opportunities.