The board of Cape Town Tourism has rejected a proposal for a single tourism destination marketing organisation and brand for Cape Town and the Western Cape, as mooted by Western Cape Tourism MEC, Alan Winde. The model proposes a single tourism marketing organisation trading under a new name and operating according to a provincial tourism marketing strategy.
 
CTT CEO, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, in a newsletter to CTT members, says: "Cape Town Tourism has noted the proposal and embarked on a comprehensive negotiation process with the City of Cape Town and the office of the MEC. The board of Cape Town Tourism has indicated that it is not in agreement with the proposal in its current format."
 
She says CTT has received reassurance from the City of Cape Town, which funds CTT's marketing of the city, that "CTT is and will remain the city’s tourism promotional and marketing body and that CTT's structure will not change".
 
CTT is an industry association. It was mandated two years ago by the Cape Town municipality to take over the marketing of the city following a politically tinged fall-out over the efficacy of provincial marketer, Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU).
 
"CTT is committed to protecting the interests of tourism in Cape Town and finding a workable solution that will most effectively realise the tourism opportunities in the city, while eliminating duplication and confusion," adds du Toit-Helmbold.  "We have stressed the importance of consulting with the industry and will soon be embarking on a series of industry discussion forums regarding the proposed structure and CTT's position on the proposal," she says.
 
Cape Town City Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism, Alderman Felicity Purchase, has confirmed to Tourism Update Online that CTT's position as city marketer is not under threat. Instead, changes are needed at CTRU, she says.
 
The MEC's model proposes that a single destination marketing organisation be responsible for the marketing of the province, regions and all municipalities in the Western Cape. This would mean the marketing of Cape Town would again fall under an umbrella body, as was the case previously when CTRU was funded by the city and the province to market Cape Town.