TripAdvisor partners with NMBT

NELSON Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) has recently partnered with acclaimed British travel website Trip Advisor to jointly promote each other via the online platform. 

The Trip Advisor logo and link will appear on the NMBT home page and vice versa, though the NMBT link on Trip Advisor is a rotating banner with other destinations.

“This is a unique opportunity to partner with a big worldwide web tourism company, which will push up Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism’s presence in search engine rankings,” said Titus Chuene, NMBT marketing manager.

“In the past the only real visibility that Nelson Mandela Bay and Port Elizabeth got on Trip Advisor was through the featured tourism products and accommodation facilities.

“Now we can profile the destination – through a blurb and images of the city – not just the product offerings.”

The Port Elizabeth blurb reads, “Port Elizabeth, the Friendly City, part of the idyllic coastal metropolis, Nelson Mandela Bay, is a family-orientated tourism destination that celebrates its beautiful golden beaches, African Big Seven, 1820 heritage, apartheid history and outdoor living. It is the gateway to the Eastern Cape, South Africa’s adventure and game reserve hub”.

“This kind of an online presence gives us increased exposure to global traffic. It also exposes our membership base and visitors to our site to the offerings of Trip Advisor,” said Chuene.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism has confirmed that it is trying to maximize promotion of the destination internationally after the coverage the city and South Africa got over the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Trip Advisor website offers “unbiased hotel reviews, photos and travel advice for hotels and vacations”.

“Nelson Mandela Bay is an outstanding place to visit – we are safe, have gorgeous beaches, the friendliest people in the whole of South Africa and we are the sporting Mecca of the country. In the words of Trip Advisor, get truth, then go,” added Chuene.