MARIËTTE DU TOIT-HELMBOLD CEO, CAPE TOWN TOURISM

INTRODUCTION

• Tourism has changed significantly – for good

• Competition is tougher than ever before

• New trends like responsible living, technology, the web and climate, balanced with global economic crises determine visitors’ choice

• Extra-ordinary solutions and strategies required

• Window of opportunity

THE WEB & TECHNOLOGY

• CTT eBusiness and eMarketing Strategy links all touch points : Visitor > Team > Industry > Local Public

• New website (www.capetown.travel) - the consumer as an extension of our marketing messageas an extension of our marketing message

• Technology – a new era for Visitor Services

– Visitor-Membership Management System (VMMs)

– Open platform booking system

– Contact Centre as Virtual Visitor Centre

– Electronic & Mobile Visitor Centres

– New Devices & Digital Media

VMMS

• Best practice business process + good skills + change management

• Technology is the enabler

• Operational toolkit – linking marketing, visitor/industry services and operations

• Core data set for the destination

• Designed to share data in any channel with any partner

VMMS

• Designed to share data in any channel with any partner in any frequency

• 360-degree view of the visitor – all channels, all touch points, any time in the visitor journey

• Modular and complementary to other systems; doesn’t compete with private sector/other DMS

• Supports and integrates with any DMS

• Open standards for data and interfaces

TEN KEYS TO SUCCESS

1. Reach as many potential customers as possible

2. Maximise the lifetime value of customers, by maintaining the relationship

3. Engage in social networking and user generated content

4. Create a compelling website experience

5. Maintain high quality content

6. Generate sales, directly or indirectly6. Generate sales, directly or indirectly

7. Offer do-it-yourself packaging

8. Engage tourism businesses to get their inventory online

9. Demonstrate return on investment – performance evaluation and benchmarking

10. Ensure effective electronic distribution of information to travellers and visitors

1. REACH AS MANY CUSTOMERS AS

POSSIBLE

www.capetown.travel

Traffic over life of site (per week)

From 1500 visitors per week in Dec 08, to over

6000 visitors per week in May 09

Site usage and visitor location: May 2009. Source: Google Analytics

2. MAXIMISING THE LIFETIME VALUE OF

CUSTOMERS BY MAINTAINING

RELATIONSHIPS

Building Relationships

– eVisitor Newsletters

3. ENGAGE IN SOCIAL NETWORKING

AND USER-GENERATED CONTENT

- Front page integration with social networking sites

Social Networking (FLICKr)

User-Generated Content (FLICKr)

Social Networking (Twitter)

Social Networking (Facebook)

Blogging

Blogging

4. CREATE A COMPELLING WEBSITE

• Speed

• Navigation

• Relevancy

• Images• Images

• Colour

• Interesting content

• Special features

• Integration

Accommodation database

What’s On

Competitions

Promotions and Special Deals

Mini-Websites: 2010 FIFA World Cup

5. MAINTAIN HIGH QUALITY

CONTENT

6. GENERATE SALES: DIRECTLY &

INDIRECTLY

7. OFFER DO-IT-YOURSELF

PACKAGING

8. ENGAGE TOURISM BUSINESSES

TO GET INVENTORY ON-LINE

9. DEMONSTRATE RETURN ON

INVESTMENT

Currently 34% of total traffic this month

Currently 34% of total traffic this month

IPL SEO

• Blue: overall site traffic

• Orange: IPL-related traffic

10. ENSURE EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION

OF INFORMATION

- Mobi Site- VMMs- VIC Network- Decentralised Info- Decentralised Info

Upcoming visual geo-location of Twitter feeds Twitter feeds and Google map integration for 2010 presence