The Trevor Noah tourism campaign for South Africa earned third place in the best country promotion film category at the 36th World Tourism Film Awards in Valencia, Spain, last night (Wednesday, November 27). Of the 4 000 entries and 100 shortlisted films, only 27 were award winners.
The event, hosted by the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT), gathered leaders from the tourism and creative industries to celebrate the year's most inspiring and innovative tourism campaigns.
It showcased the power of storytelling, honouring productions that set new standards in tourism promotion and elevated the global industry.
This year’s awards recognised 27 outstanding productions from 16 countries as the world’s best tourism films in five competitive categories: city, region, country promotion, tourism products and tourism services.
The winners emerged at the top of the CIFFT rankings of the world’s most awarded tourism videos and campaigns highlighting industry trends.
Switzerland Tourism led the accolades with “The Ride of a Lifetime” featuring the charismatic duo Roger Federer and Trevor Noah. This exceptional campaign achieved dual recognition: the award for World’s Best Tourism Film, with first place in the tourism products category, and the newest CIFFT Tourism Press Award – a special accolade defined by an international panel of travel journalists.
Switzerland Tourism also claimed first and fifth places in the country promotion category for two promotional videos. Other notable winners included Visit Sweden’s viral campaign, “Sweden (not Switzerland)”, which claimed second place in the country promotion category.
“This edition of the World Tourism Film Awards has showcased the exceptional creativity within our industry. The winning films truly exemplify the transformative power of storytelling in tourism, inspiring audiences worldwide,” said Alexander V Kammel, CIFFT Director.
Organised by the CIFFT and supported by UN Tourism, the World Tourism Film Awards are the pinnacle of the CIFFT circuit.
This prestigious competition reviews film festivals from Cannes to New York and Zagreb to Shiga.
The Trevor Noah campaign
Led by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) and supported by Tourism Marketing South Africa (TOMSA), the Trevor Noah campaign celebrates South Africa’s cultural diversity, breathtaking landscapes and world-class travel experiences.
Featuring Trevor Noah’s deep connection to his heritage, the film continues to resonate with global audiences, solidifying South Africa’s reputation as a premier travel destination.
In the aftermath of COVID-19’s devastating impact, the TBCSA, with funding from TOMSA, launched the campaign to reignite global interest and position South Africa as a top-of-mind destination.
“We’re excited to announce the campaign’s extraordinary global success with over 500 million impressions, more than 260 million engagements and over 230 million views,” said TBCSA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa.
“This recognition underscores our resilience and highlights the global appeal of South Africa’s story.”
TOMSA levy
The campaign was funded by TOMSA levies collected from tourism businesses in South Africa.
It was set up in 1999 to provide additional funding for marketing Destination South Africa
Establishment of TOMSA by the country’s private tourism sector was a step in recognising that marketing South Africa will benefit from collaborating with the public sector
Tshivhengwa recently pointed out around 500 tourism businesses currently contribute to the fund. TBCSA data indicates, in 2023, R166m (€8.7m) in levies was collected – 7% was allocated to management fees.
The biggest contributors to the fund were hotels (R126m/€6.5m), car hire (R27m/€1.4m), game lodges (R5.6m/€291 000), resorts (R5.2m/€270 000) and travel agencies (R1m/€52 000).
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Tourism in South Africa | Trevor Noah
