News

Domestic push for SA campaign

South Africa Tourism (SAT) has launched its annual ‘Tourism Month’, as part of its ‘Sho’t Left’ campaign targeting the domestic tourism market.

The ‘Sho’t Left’ campaign aims to encourage South Africans to explore the country and see the new facilities and attractions that have come as a result of investment in the industry. This year’s event focuses on biodiversity and sustainable tourism, and the region of Limpopo, home of the renowned Kruger National Park, will be under the spotlight.

South Africa has invested $9.5m on marketing domestic tourism over the past six years through television, radio and print campaigns along with outdoor advertising and events, and have partnered with leading businesses such as Thompson Holidays and Flight Centre.

In 2009, 75% of the tourist business derived from domestic tourists, as 14.6 million South Africans took 30 million domestic trips.

The foreign market has also grown by 16.3% in the first four months of the year. More than 2.5 million foreign tourists visited South Africa from January to April this year, compared to 2.2 million in 2009.

Minister for tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said South Africa expects further growth throughout 2010 in foreign tourist especially from hosting the World Cup, but said that the domestic market would remain the backbone of the industry

Lynsey Barber, London