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According to independent policy adviser Simon Anholt’s 2004 Journal, Place Branding, the hexagon model for managing competitive identity of a country can be done using six channels of communication: tourism, brands, policy, investment, culture and people.
Tourism is now a global industry and widely considered to be one of the fastest-growing, if not the fastest-growing, sectors in the world. Its relevance and influence for South Africa was made clear in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address last year, in which he said the sector offered “incredible opportunities” for travel and tourism to bring people to the country. In this year’s address, Ramaphosa again reiterated the importance of the tourism industry for the economic growth of South Africa. It is for this reason we need to pay closer attention to how we brand ourselves, not only at home, but to the rest of the world.
South Africa is a relatively young democracy, still formulating its identity and working hard to eradicate the legacy, perceptions and consequences of the past. Prioritising how we brand ourselves and how we build our positioning will assist our democratic mission, clarify our investment priorities and grow the influence of marketing the country.
Tourism has played a major part in changing the world’s view of South Africa, with every traveller taking a small part of our country back with them. This is the same for business tourism.
The international perception of South Africa influences business travellers when making their decisions about whether they should host their conference, summit or business here.
As a country we have made great strides over the years to make it an appealing destination. Today Brand SA contributes 68% to the Southern African Development Community GDP and has the 19th-largest stock exchange in the world. According to the Good Country index, South Africa is ranked first on the continent for election transparency – something that will attract business travellers.
Read: The state has audacious tourism plans but now we need a plan fast
With close to half of the world now travelling, destination branding has to be a priority and positioning our country in the minds of consumers has to be supported by competitive messages. More than ever before we need to enhance our beautiful country’s brand and reputation. Also, South Africa needs to be innovative and creative to draw the world’s attention, as competition for it is fierce.
The role of information is increasingly an important element for any industry to continue to exist and grow in the digital era. In our ambition to offer bleisure travel – the activity of combining business travel with leisure time – data will play an important role in attracting the tourists of tomorrow. As purchasing power emerges and developing countries increase and demographics shift, South Africa must adapt digitally to stay on top of its game.
The South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB) plays an important role in forming a positive reputation for South Africa as a business destination. It is pivotal in the increased numbers of business events in the country and following the success of Meetings Africa 2019, hosted last month in Sandton, SANCB is looking ahead to Africa’s largest trade show, Africa’s Travel Indaba.
This trade show hosted more than 7 000 delegates from 80 countries last year. Both travel and trade shows aim to stimulate business travel to Africa and promote South Africa as a vibrant business destination to the world.
As we look ahead to the future, the relevance of travel and tourism is only going to increase. Partnerships within the public and private sectors, and local and international communities, continue to be vital as the customer is key to all stakeholders.
Against the backdrop of the overall slow growth of the South African economy, the tourism sector has the potential to create jobs and opportunities. Thus, all South Africans locally and abroad have a part to play in building a positive image of our country as a travel destination of choice.
Ntshona is the chief executive of SA Tourism and will lead a discussion on this topic with senior destination marketers from around the country at the 2019 Brand Summit South Africa on June 6
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