This year’s Shot’t Left Travel Week – held from September 4-10 – saw what Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, described as “remarkable results”.
Speaking at the launch of South Africa's Summer Campaign in the Eastern Cape earlier this week, the Minister revealed that 920 deals were loaded for the Sho’t Left Travel Week.
A total of 94 660 people visited the dedicated Sho’t Left Travel website that week. The ‘Book Now’ button was clicked on 10 481 times – the number of leads that were created for the trade partners that loaded their deals.
De Lille pointed out that the most popular deals were those that offered, on average, R3 000 (€149) for two people or R5 000 (€249) for four people.
According to her, research had shown that in light of the rising cost of travel, consumers were actively seeking better value for their money.
To respond to this, the industry continues to explore creative ways in which to make travel more affordable. Sho’t Left Travel Week aimed to do just that, said De Lille.
“There are many other initiatives through which the industry continues to show that it is dedicated to ensuring that exploring South Africa remains accessible and enjoyable for everyone,” De Lille noted.
“Encouragingly, there is notable interest in domestic travel sustained by a strong desire to explore. Hence, domestic travel has now exceeded the pre-COVID figures.”
Known as the ‘Black Friday of Tourism’, the annual travel week saw a host of trade partners, airlines, hotel groups, and tour operators offering discounts of up to 50%.
The Sho’t Left Travel Week is a key part of Tourism Month, and all the activities during September were geared towards highlighting the vital role the tourism sector plays in growing the economy – and in driving job creation.
