South African Tourism has urged the broader inbound tourism industry to harness the DMO’s newly launched global brand campaign as a catalyst for driving arrivals growth from key international source markets.
The campaign, “South Africa Awaits – Come Find Your Joy!”, was officially launched in Sandton on March 31. It centres on a television advertisement that showcases the country’s top tourist attractions.
South African Tourism views the campaign as a key strategic initiative in positioning South Africa as a top global travel destination and attracting 15 million annual visitors by 2030.
Explaining the conceptualisation of the campaign, South African Tourism’s Chief Marketing Officer Thembisile Sehloho said: “In a world where life’s simple joys often get lost in the rush of daily routines, our new global campaign is an invitation to reignite that child-like curiosity and embrace the thrill of exploration.”
The campaign was developed in collaboration with independent creative agency Avatar – led by Avatar’s Chief Creative Officer Philip Ireland.
“We wanted to create something that resonated emotionally; something that went beyond traditional tourism advertising,” said Ireland.
The advert features music by South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela and appearances by well-known local personalities such as Zakes Bantwini and acclaimed chef Wandile Mabaso.
Ireland said the campaign has the flexibility to be easily tailored by provincial tourism boards and South African Tourism’s private-sector partners.
“The tagline ‘Come Find Your Joy!’ can be readily adopted by the travel trade and tailored by provincial tourism boards, destinations and businesses wherever they are in the country. A true test of a big idea is how long it can last before it wears out. We feel this is really robust with a long tenure.”
South African Tourism Board Chairperson Professor Gregory Davids expressed confidence that the campaign will achieve its aim to stimulate more global interest in travel to South Africa.
“The global tourism landscape is fiercely competitive but we believe this campaign positions South Africa as a sought-after, must-visit destination and will drive the increase in visitor numbers we all strive for.”
He encouraged tourism associations, operators and other tourism and hospitality stakeholders to harness the campaign.
“We look forward to seeing how you can leverage this campaign to amplify your own marketing efforts, promote our products and services as a collective and proudly showcase the best of South Africa.”
The campaign will roll out globally within the next few weeks with the support of South African Tourism’s international hub heads in Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America as well as in-market partners.
At the launch, Independent Tourism and Hospitality Consultant Gillian Saunders said the new campaign offers a much-needed refresh of the country’s destination marketing efforts.
“This is certainly one of the best campaigns we have seen from South African Tourism in years. The key now will be to effectively roll it out across our foremost international source markets and adapt the messaging so that it resonates with a broad range of travellers,” she said.
Click here to watch the South Africa Awaits — Come Find Your Joy! video.
