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With a vast number of diverse destinations easily accessible to today’s tourist, and the global credit crunch shrinking the number of said tourists, competition between countries and cities is intense. Especially when speaking to a market that is already familiar with a destination. This will be the task facing the Western Cape tourism marketing team participating in this week’s Vakantiebeurs Leisure Tourism Show in Utrecht, The Netherlands (13 – 18 January 2009). Their core focus will be to grow the market share of this particular region by convincing Dutch tourists to visit again and again; and also to reveal to them the other amazing tourism experiences awaiting them in this incredibly diverse destination.
Vakantiebeurs, attended by more than 135,000 Dutch tourism trade, media and consumers last year, is the largest travel event in The Netherlands, a long-standing source of visitors to South Africa. It starts with one day of activities specifically focused on travel media, travel operators, tour guides and others in the tourism trade. The rest of the show gives potential travellers from The Netherlands and neighbouring countries a chance to sample new and exotic destinations, and make up their minds where they want to travel next. It is a strategic platform for Cape Town and the Western Cape to reach potential Dutch visitors.
Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of the Cape Town and Western Cape destination marketing organisation Cape Town Routes Unlimited, confirms: “Although The Netherlands is one of our key source markets for international arrivals (74 704 arrivals in 2007), it is a very loyal market and an enthusiastic soccer-loving country. Many Dutch tourists have already visited the city and province on two or three occasions. They’re also keen self-drivers. This gives us the opportunity to lift the curtain and show them the multitude of different tourist activities and tourism regions waiting to be explored on their next visit, thereby encouraging the regional spread of tourists and income throughout the Western Cape.”
Joining the Cape Town Routes Unlimited team on the South African/Southern African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (SANEC) stand will be representatives from the Cape Winelands, Cape Town Tourism, Eden District Municipality, Bitou Tourism, Greater Oudtshoorn Tourism, Mossel Bay Tourism, as well as Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape and tour operators. CTRU is also assisting a Cape Overberg tourism entrepreneur to gain international exposure for his business and services.
“We expect our stand to once again be buzzing with activity and interest. This year we’re running a competition, with 10 nights’ accommodation and car rental for the lucky couple to Cape Town, Cape Winelands and Cape Garden Route & Klein Karoo as the grand prize,” Gilfellan goes on to say.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
