South Africa: New Cape Town campaign aims to drive tourism and investment growth

Zawya

19 hours ago

The City of Cape Town has launched a new marketing campaign designed to reach visitors directly in their hotels and guesthouses, using coat-hanger cards as a novel tool to promote tourism and investment opportunities.
The campaign was unveiled at the Hotel and Hospitality Expo Africa, currently underway in Cape Town.
A simple idea with smart impact
'These coat-hanger cards, soon to be hanging in accommodation establishments across the metro, are more than a creative idea. They are smart, targeted tools that will put Cape Town's destination and investment features just a click away,' said Alderman James Vos, the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
The double-sided cards feature QR codes linking to This is Cape Town, the city's six-pillar destination marketing platform, and to Invest Cape Town, which highlights business and investment opportunities in the city.
'This is a simple, tangible way to reach visitors and investors exactly where they are, inviting them to explore more, invest more, and experience more of Cape Town,' Vos added.
Industry partnerships key to delivery
Vos thanked the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) for its support in distributing the cards through its hospitality network.
'This kind of partnership is what allows campaigns like these to land where they matter most,' he said.
Lee-Anne Singer, chairperson of Fedhasa Cape, welcomed the initiative, saying: "This campaign proves that clever doesn't have to be complicated. By meeting visitors where they are – literally – we're turning simple hangers into powerful hooks for travel, trade and tourism.
"Fedhasa plays a critical role in connecting public and private partners, and it's through this kind of collaboration with the City of Cape Town that we unlock the real economic impact of the hospitality industry, create jobs and keep Cape Town thriving."
Tourism sector momentum continues
The campaign builds on the city's tourism performance, with Cape Town recording a hotel occupancy rate of 64.6% in April, outpacing the national average of 56.3%.
Cape Town is also growing as a hub for business tourism. In the 2024/25 financial year, the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau, powered by Wesgro and supported by the City, secured 36 new event bids.
'These alone are projected to have an economic impact of R745m and are expected to bring around 27,230 delegates to Cape Town for events through to 2028. These are thousands of professionals from all over the world, and with this campaign, we will be able to reveal to them the incredible variety of experiences that our city has to offer,' said Vos.
Five-point plan for tourism growth
The initiative forms part of Alderman Vos's broader five-point programme of action to boost Cape Town's visitor economy, which focuses on:
1. Landing more flights
2. Docking more cruise liners
3. Hosting more events and conferences
4. Diversifying tourism products across the city
5. Launching clever campaigns backed by strong conversion strategies
'Tourism isn't just about travel, it's a major economic driver. For every 100 air arrivals, two jobs are created. That's why we're investing in marketing that turns interest into impact, helping local businesses, creating employment, and strengthening our visitor economy,' said Vos.
He also noted other recent marketing campaigns promoting Cape Town's cycling routes, golf courses, and ocean-based adventures, accessible via the This is Cape Town platform and the City's website.
'We're constantly looking for new ways to tell Cape Town's story, and today's launch is another smart step forward,' Vos concluded.