THE South African Tourism (SA Tourism) and Southafricaholidays.com have signed a joint marketing agreement aimed at the travel trade and consumers to boost tourist arrival numbers from key markets in the Middle East to South Africa.
The new agreement will see both parties collectively partner on a range of marketing activities focusing on some of the biggest Middle Eastern inbound visitor markets. The arrangement will see SA Tourism embark on joint marketing with the travel trade as well as direct marketing activities targeting the consumers.
The tourism board will also launch its “SA specialist programme”, an interactive learning experience designed to improve the knowledge of South Africa and equip the travel trade with the skills to sell South Africa as a tourist destination will be launched in Middle East.
The SA specialist programmes offer several benefits including access to marketing tools and resources, familiarization trips opportunities, e-newsletters, invites for trade events, certification and business card stickers etc.
South African Tourism’s chief executive officer Thulani Nzima said, “South African Tourism has been actively marketing South Africa in emerging markets including the Middle East for several years now and that has seen a steady increase in visitor numbers. In the Middle East most of these initiatives were conducted through local cooperative marketing activities, realising the potential of this market.
“Southafricaholidays.com has demonstrated a strong and growing commitment in promoting South Africa as a destination and has been one of its most committed marketing partners. We are pleased that we have now formally forged this long-term strategic partnership which will contribute significantly to us marketing South Africa in the Middle East. We believe that this Joint Marketing Agreement will further grow tourism to South Africa from these key Middle Eastern markets”.