Seychelles Tourism Board launches marketing initiative in South America with South Africa

In conjunction with Argentina´s leading boutique outbound specialist in South Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands destination wholesaler – Sundance Tours – the provincial tourism marketing entities o

In conjunction with Argentina´s leading boutique outbound specialist in South Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands destination wholesaler – Sundance Tours – the provincial tourism marketing entities of Cape Town Routes Unlimited (Cape Town and the Western Cape), Mpumalanga Tourism & Parks Agency, and the National Office of Tourism Seychelles have formed a joint destination marketing venture, pooling their marketing resources in what is a first-ever campaign in South America.

These prominent and progressive entities have joined together to inaugurate the campaign by way of the delivery of a travel industry seminar promoting a series of six (6) set itinerary programs under the banner of “Unforgettable Places” to the major retail travel agencies in Buenos Aires.

A morning long seminar attracted an audience of 142 travel agency owners and senior sales specialists, and in addition, the key figures of the travel industry, travel media, and consumer media travel publications, as well as cable TV travel specialist journalists.

With an opening address so enthusiastically delivered by the Hon. Anthony (Tony) Leon, the charismatic and tireless Ambassador for South Africa to Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, lauding the combining of market resources by the collective interests of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Mpumalanga Tourism & Parks Agency, and Tourism Seychelles with Sundance Tours as the driving force in Argentina, the unforgettable places campaign, which will encapsulate both travel trade and consumer marketing initiatives was launched amid the expectation of it delivering substantial new business in what is South Africa´s closest international tourism source market, outside of the African continent.

With Cape Town as South America’s natural gateway, a mere 7 hours and 15 minutes flying nonstop from Buenos Aires, and with demand for destination South Africa peaking after the coverage that the World Cup brought to the nationwide football fanatical Argentine population, the timing could not have been better for launching such an ambitious, creative, all encompassing regional tourism marketing campaign.

“Tourism on our continent will hit new heights when we in Africa work together to be united in our drive to attract visitors to our part of the world, and this initiative is a clear example how countries complimenting one another can work together towards a “win-win” situation for all,” said David Germain Seychelles Tourism Board Director for Africa and the Americas.

The Unforgettable Places campaign is aimed directly at highlighting the Argentine traveler and the travel trade, compelling reasons to visit and combine the regional destinations of Cape Town and the Cape Garden Route, Mpumalanga´s natural wonders such as the Blyde River Canyon and world-beating safari activities through the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, and the globally iconic Kruger National Park, plus the relaxation and lure of the heavenly Seychelles islands with their pristine white sandy beaches, distinctive Creole culture and cuisine together with a natural eco-system that time has left untouched.

“This campaign is the realization of creative destination marketing combining the unique beauty and cosmopolitan lifestyle of one of the world’s globally iconic cities and regions with some of Africa’s top safari experiences together with an idyllic tropical island destination boasting some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and marine environments” says David Frandsen, Executive Manager for International Marketing at Cape Town Routes Unlimited. “We are convinced that these exotic destinations will prove popular in Argentina. Given the air connectivity options between Buenos Aires and South Africa and the recent publicity provided by the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Argentina it makes sense to invest in initiatives of this sort to grow the tourism market from South America into Cape Town and the Western Cape” adds Frandsen.

The Unforgettable Places campaign began in November 2010 and will run initially through to the end of May 2011, with the likelihood of it being extended, based on and measured purely on the success and results of the first seven months marketing returns.

Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board and eTurboNews ambassador, has said that this initiative of partnership with South Africa will bring about a win win for both countries and it reinforces the diversification approach being adopted by Seychelles.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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