Attracting tourists to a country is all about marketing and presentation – how you present a destination and its tourism highlights, and make it attractive to a potential visitor, is the key to converting a potential visitor into an active (and hopefully, return) visitor. And tourism boards across southern and East Africa are devising and executing powerful marketing campaigns, and communicating the message of the African continent being open for tourism business (to borrow the term from Zimbabwe).
Tourism Update explores some of the destination marketing campaigns that various tourism boards have activated to drive tourism interest in their countries.
Continental drives
From a continental perspective, the Africa Tourism Board (ATB) has reached out to tourism stakeholders across Africa to rally in creating one representative board for Africa, to market the continent as an intra-connected ‘whole destination’. “Our mission is to encourage African countries to work together, sharing joint tourism opportunities and assisting with projects and investments important to the African travel and tourism industry. There is so much potential and this can be done more easily united,” said a member of the Board.
At the 2018 Travel Indaba, held in May this year in KwaZulu-Natal, tourism leaders from 22 African countries convened in the 5th annual African Ministerial Session to deliberate the tourism challenges and opportunities that exist between the African regions, and brainstorm ways to foster closer collaboration between countries in destination and tourism marketing. “Africa will overcome if we get past the closed vision we have towards tourism, and put our ideas together in a joint collaboration,” said Angolan Minister of Tourism, Angela Braganca. Namibian Minister of Tourism, Phohamba Shifela, agreed that an integration of offerings into exciting packages was necessary.
In 2010, ‘Brand Africa’ was launched, a non-profit civil society vehicle based in South Africa, that is aimed at “mobilising Africans and the diaspora to proactively drive a brand-led African agenda.” Its aim is to inspire a great Africa through promoting a positive image of Africa, celebrating its diversity and driving its competitiveness, in keeping with the African Union vision 2063. The organisation’s marketing mission is to:
- Mobilise and engage African and diaspora decision-makers, thought-leaders, influencers and future leaders to shape and drive the African agenda
- Promote private public partnerships and a catalytic environment for economic growth, attracting foreign investment, tourism and championing active African citizenship
- Showcase and celebrate African capabilities, innovations and achievements
- Celebrate Africa’s universal values and diverse cultures and identity
- Inspire global African leadership excellence
Rwanda
Rwanda’s sponsorship deal with Arsenal Football Club, in excess of £30 million and inspired by President Paul Kagame who is an ardent fan of the team, has been controversial. But the country has defended its marketing value.
“Rwanda is implementing the ‘Visit Rwanda’ campaign, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Arsenal Football team as a strategy to increase awareness of Rwanda as a tourist destination not only to European countries, but worldwide. The key message is to invite people to come and discover the Remarkable Rwanda,” says Claudine Rubagumya, Tourism Manager for the European Market at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
South Africa
Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa), says: “I think one solid message that needs to go to all European visitors and beyond is that Africa is ready to offer the hospitality that is beyond what they have ever experienced. We are a continent and countries of many cultures, natural wonders, friendly people, and abundant wild life. We are the continent that will lead the future of tourism and we are ready. We have proved that we care for the environment through conservation and water savings campaigns. Africa is ready.”
Blessing Manale, the South African Department of Tourism’s Chief Director: Communications, says that the country has a Tourism Sector Strategy in place which, amongst other sectors, includes “our Marine and Coastal Tourism Development Plans, and our Tourism Nodal Development Plans. In the broader scheme of things we believe that the investment in economic infrastructure will be a boost to tourism, particularly domestic and regional ease of access, movement of people and airlift capacity”.
South Africa’s hosting of major international events that draw tourism – such as the World Choir Games, the BRICS Film Festival, and the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture – and the marketing and messaging that encompass these events, are expanding the standing of South Africa as a tourism destination.
Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi
Kenya and Tanzania simultaneously unveiled Tourism Market Blueprints, which are aimed at boosting the tourism sector’s contribution to their economies, and driving the marketing of each as a destination of choice to the European market.
In March this year, the Kenya Tourism Ministry revealed plans to deliver a refreshed marketing strategy that aims to reposition Kenya as a premium experiential destination in Africa. The revamp of the existing strategy would include construction of road networks and airports, with an increased focus on beach products. Kenya hopes to triple its international tourist arrivals to four million by 2030, from 1.4m last year, and quadruple domestic tourists to 26.4m. “Our first priority must be to fix and refresh our tourism products and re-invigorate our engagement with our current markets – both local and international – in order to attract more visitors by 2019,” said Kenya’s Tourism Minister, Najib Balala, during the unveiling of the blueprint.
The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) activated a global e-marketing campaign as part of its efforts to aggressively market Destination Tanzania to the European – and broader international – markets. This included the development of a modern destination online tourism portal in tandem with the official Tanzania Tourism app.
“The Tanzania Online Tourism Destination portal (www.tanzaniatourism.com) is the tool that will not be only used for information dissemination but also allows bookings and payments to be performed online,” said TTB. Acting Director of Marketing, Philp Chitaunga, added: “Our portal will serve as a vehicle for tourism information dissemination since it contains much important information regarding Tanzania as a unique destination in the world; and one can even make online payment for the service he or she wants when they will be visiting the country.”
In a disparate move from ATB’s intra-continental drive, earlier this month Tanzania and Burundi ended their joint destination marketing efforts in favour of marketing their own destinations. Burundi is still in its infant stages of destination marketing, and is looking at promoting itself as an alternative destination for eco-tourism in Africa, currently starting to attract safari clients.
Indian Ocean islands
Technology is growing in leaps and bounds as a destination marketing tool, and the Indian Ocean islands are adopting mobile technology into their destination marketing strategies.
The Seychelles Tourism Board has created a travel guide app, showcasing the 115 islands and offering an authentic, dynamic and sustainable tourism product. From the botanical gardens in Victoria to a visual experience of swimming with the tortoises along the coral reefs of Aldabra, the app also offers access to hundreds of restaurant recommendations, transportation, activities and more.
In a drive to expand itself as a tourism destination, Mauritius has proposed ‘selling’ citizenship and passports to foreigners for set fees.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has initiated an aggressive tourism strategy, with the change in presidency. In January this year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced that the country was ‘open for business’ after almost four decades of oppressive rule by former leader Robert Mugabe. Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira says she believes the new dispensation in Zimbabwe will assist in growing the country’s tourism sector because the negative perspective the world had about the country during Mugabe’s rule is slowly dying down.
