Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the South African Minister of Tourism, yesterday launched a Brand Messaging Book for Tourism which will enable everyone who communicates about South Africa to share an inspirational message about our country as a tourism destination.
The minister, speaking at a cocktail event held in Sandton for the launch of the book, said that the publication is both inspirational and practical and will give communicators the tools they need to become confident brand ambassadors for South Africa. “Destination South Africa is a vast, diverse, captivating and enthralling place. The destination services an industry that has become a vital component of the national economy. Our country is a player in an exceptionally competitive global industry where travellers are determined to experience new, different, engaging, exciting and rewarding places and people,” the Minister said.
“This book is published for anyone who travels widely, who works in tourism or who frequently comes into contact with visitors to our country. It will give all of us common ground around which to talk about our country as a destination and from which to deliver a strong brand promise to the world.
“A strong brand is a vital component in our global competitiveness and a key ingredient in growing arrivals to our shores. We strive to do this in order to build a better and stronger tourism industry which will in turn put more roofs over more South African heads and more food in more South African mouths.
“It is all of our joint responsibility to ensure that we work together to build our destination's image. This book will equip us with everything from inspirational stories, anecdotes and recipes to facts and figures to communicate the true essence of South Africa,” Minister Van Schalkwyk said at the event.
The book details key destination messages for each core target market: consumers, the global travel trade, business tourists and tourists seeking to visit South Africa for a big event.
Didi Moyle, Chief Operating Officer and acting Chief Executive Officer at South African Tourism, said: “The realities of our various core markets necessitate cohesion in marketing, at the very root, but vitally important, at messaging level. All South Africans, but especially national leaders, ambassadors, captains of industry, the travel trade and those who either travel widely or who come into contact frequently with visitors, need common ground around which to talk about our destination and from which to deliver a strong brand and strong brand promise to the world.
“South Africa is a contagiously inspiring place. The brand book helps people understand not only why key messages are important, but it also gives them a precise and defined set of messages that they can work with and make their own. They can draw inspiration from them and harvest the nitty-gritty details about South Africa from them, too. The brand book arms communicators with the facts. And it gives them ideas. It's a beautiful production with striking photographs of a wonderful and unique country. We are very proud of it.”
The brand book also helps to manage the negative perceptions and realities that are pervasive about the destination. It arms people with practical messaging for when they are, for example, confronted with difficult questions about safety and security, malaria and visa issues for visitors.
To get a copy of the limited brand messaging book, please send an e-mail to: itspossible@southafrica.net
For further information contact:
Monde Mateza
Tel: 011 895 3043
E-mail: monde@southafrica.net
Glyn Binkin
Tel: 011 684 1864
E-mail: gbinkin@footballfirst.co.za
Ronel Bester
Cell: 083 242 7763
E-mail: rbester@deat.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Tourism
14 August 2009
Source: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (http://www.deat.gov.za/)
