South African Tourism Redefines The Realms Of ‘Possibility’

Sheldon Santwan - Durban

If INDABA is the South African Tourism showcase, it certainly lived up to its billing this year. With the unveiling of its global branding campaign and new image, South Africa couldn’t have chosen a more opportune time to send out its tourism message to the world.

The brilliant “It’s Possible” campaign coincided neatly with the ‘ten years of freedom’ theme and the country’s successful bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to tell the global tourism community present at INDABA that South Africa is now poised to go about its business in all seriousness to achieve its rightful position as one of the leaders on the world tourism map.

The entire campaign and the roll-out of this new brand image for South African tourism has been planned meticulously with the help of tourism experts and global advertising agencies who have charted out different courses and strategies for the launch of this brand campaign at various times in specific markets worldwide. The multi-million dollar plan will see India as one of the premier markets of debut as early as July-August this year.

“We are very excited about our new campaign and brand identity for South African Tourism, and we are confident that it will be as successful in India as other parts of the world. Of course, we will tailor-make the message to suit the specific needs of every country that we target,” says Sarel Opperman, manager - India, South African Tourism.

“The revolutionary positioning of its new brand that embodies the essence and values of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination promises to break new ground with an entirely focused and co-ordinated strategy, the likes of which has never before been seen,” said Cheryl Carolus, CEO of South African Tourism while addressing the media at INDABA.

The organisation - mandated with the international tourism marketing activities of the country - chose to launch the new brand at a specially-designed Global Brand Village at INDABA 2004 in Durban.

Further elaborating on the concept, Carolus adds, “We have been working very hard over recent months to define and refine our marketing and communications’ plans in order to more clearly focus our marketing efforts. The launch of the brand brings to life the best of that thinking. It demonstrates the awesome experiences this country has to offer in terms of real wonder, fusion and beat, awesome sensory experience and humanity and freedom - in short, all of the real wonder that is just waiting to be discovered here on the southern tip of Africa.”

The new brand, a natural progression resulting from the 2002 launch of South African Tourism’s ‘Tourism Growth Strategy’ and based around everything being possible in South Africa, is the result of more than a year’s planning and collective strategic input.