Lights, Camera and Action for Nelson Mandela Bay

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) has hosted a number of media delegates in the Bay over the last couple of months to showcase the destination. Through partnerships with SA Tourism and Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) targeted niche media, journalists and trade get to experience Nelson Mandela Bay. Through these experiences the hosted visitors are able to market attractions and activities or package them for tour groups conveying authentic and honest first hand experiences.

“This is an innovative, cost effective and creative marketing strategy to attract visitors and investment to the destination for economic and cultural development.” confirmed Ms Mandlakazi Skefile who is CEO of NMBT.

Through hosting media Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) has been featured on a number of national and international televisions, written and electronic platforms recently. This has led to many labelling NMB as a “hidden gem” now being discovered as the spotlight starts to shine brighter. Through hosting travel agents and tour operators we showcase packages that lead Nelson Mandela Bay to be included on more itineraries.

Nelson Mandela Bay has recently been featured on, to name but a few, FOX TV who were hosted during the recent cricket test series, Ironman SA coverage as well as regular local Bay TV segments. One of the latest great features occurred when the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay was featured on CNN International from the 4th – 11th April. CNN International is available in most countries; its international reach includes more than 200 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries. To view these video’s go to http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/international/2014/04/07/spc-inside-africa-south-eastern-cape-b.cnn.html

Media hosted from Switzerland and Austria included 5 journalists from top media houses to experience wildlife and leisure. These included The Kleine Zeitung which is the most popular newspaper in southern Austria and has a readership of 820 000; The Berner Zeitung is the most important newspaper for Switzerland’s mid area called “Espace Mittelland” with a readership of 362 000; The Ostschweiz am Sonntag is distributed each Sunday in the whole eastern part of Switzerland with a readership of 160 00 and Die Presse is the leading newspaper for high end readers with a readership of 274 000.

Through collaborations with ECPTA, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism also hosted International Travel Group (ITG) who is based in the Netherlands. These travel agents are now able to include the attractions, activities and products of NMB on their itineraries and packages. A travel agent from Belgium got to experience the destination first hand between the 8 -9 March and will publish an article that will be circulated through the VSA newsletter. This article will also feature on various social networks gaining even more international exposure for Nelson Mandela Bay.

India has always been a country with many linkages to South Africa and the interest in NMB is growing day by day. A FAM trip (familiarisation trip) was held with a group of outbound tour operators from India on the 4 March. During their time in NMB they experienced adventure, The Boardwalk as well as gained knowledge about the Nelson Mandela Bay Pass Card which resulted in immediate sales. A group of incentive travellers from India were hosted from the 19 – 22nd February 2014. This group of corporate travellers investigate destinations in which to include on their itineraries for future group bookings. They got to experience city life, wildlife and the elegance that NMB has to offer.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism will continue to put the Bay under the spotlight in order to showcase the magnificent diversification of offerings. To host media and travel agents from a national and international database allows Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism to have a wider marketing reach for a lower Rand spend resulting in millions of Rand’s worth of exposure.