Durban Tourism
Situation
North Americans traveling to Africa are anxious to discover authentic culture and share once-in-a-lifetime experiences. South Africa is a popular destination for American tourists, yet most itineraries include only Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Kruger National Park. When the South African city of Durban decided to expand their reach into North American markets, they sought a team with global experience in marketing, public relations, and event planning, and trusted relationships with key North American travel agents and tour operators.
Approach
- Create and implement a strategic integrated marketing plan to generate sustained awareness of Durban and its many destination attributes and stimulate desire to travel
- Introduce Durban as a multi-faceted, must-visit destination that should be included on all South African travel itineraries
- Capitalize on Durban’s position as the gateway to the Zulu Kingdom and some of South Africa’s most authentic cultural, wildlife, and outdoor/adventure experiences
- Showcase Durban’s upscale beach offerings as ideal options for post-safari relaxation before heading home
Our Solution
- Assisted local receptive operators in creating new product tailor made for the North American market
- Created and facilitated familiarization program for top travel trade and media, with itineraries that focused on Durban and also included several days of unique activities in KZN
- Educated travel agents and tour operators on the destination by participating in webinars, roadshows, and conferences, and conducting one-on-one meetings
- Educated consumer and trade media on Durban’s tourism assets through one-on-one meetings and a media event in the key market of New York City
Results
- Secured inclusion on “Fodor’s Go List” of the top destinations to visit in 2018
- Added Durban to over 75 travel packages targeting the North American market
- Increased arrivals from the North American market along with length of stay and spend, solidifying Durban as a top South African tourist destination
- Secured 992 media placements that generated 506,163,317 impressions and an advertising value of $85,479,229, for an ROI of 1015% for the PR program
- Won silver in Travel Weekly's Magellan Awards' in the destination marketing category for the 2016-2018 campaign introducing Durban to the North American market
Visit Durban Website
Our Work
Services Provided to Durban
Travel Trade Representation & Outreach
We help our clients build relationships with tour operators, travel agents, travel trade, and other business-to-business groups that increase awareness of their destination and drive more arrivals.
Tourism Product Development
We analyze and evaluate existing tourism product, identify appropriate and profitable segments, and respond to market challenges by recommending enhancements to improve the customers’ experience before, during, and after their trip.
Web Development
We create engaging, responsive websites that inspire and educate visitors.
PR & Media Relations
Public Relations and media outreach are essential to increasing awareness and influencing actions that will ultimately result in increased business. We leverage our rich, long-term media relationships with key contacts across the globe to secure high-impact editorial exposure on local, national, and international levels, ultimately driving sales and brand awareness.
Training Solutions
Our accredited training team offers professional development services in hospitality and destination management, hotel revenue and distribution, and group sales. We create and deliver custom workshops, classes, and extended courses for a broad range of audiences and topics.
Marketing Campaigns & Advertising
An integrated marketing campaign that incorporates both traditional and digital channels will keep your company or organization in focus. We design strategic marketing and advertising plans, gather and create image and content components, and implement and track placements to ensure success.
Events
Our team creates innovative trade, media, and consumer events, handling all of the details from start to finish.