If you didn’t take a Sho’t Left last year, the good news is there’s a chance for redemption with the launch last week of South African Tourism’s new R20-million campaign, Sho’t Left 2.
Billed as bigger and better, the campaign aims to encourage an emerging market of more than six million South Africans to holiday in Msanzi more often by promoting affordable packages and organised tours.
The domestic tourism market accounts for 60% of tourism turnover in the country and contributes R47-billion to the economy annually. South African Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola wants to see those figures improve.
“There are huge sectors of South Africa’s population that historically have not taken holidays,” he says. “Our research has shown us that a sizeable portion of these people, more than six million, have the ability and desire to travel but have no culture of ‘how to’. Sho’t Left 2 should go a long way in establishing how and where to travel in South Africa.”
South African Tourism has teamed up with the nine provincial tourism authorities and, with the buy-in from broadcasters and members of the tourism industry, has kicked off Sho’t Left 2 with morning drive-time radio programmes on Wednesdays and Fridays on Metro FM, Yfm and Ukhozi FM. The programmes will focus on how to take a Sho’t Left, and what affordable holiday packages are available.
Other initiatives include:
A 13-part reality television game show, The Sho’t Left Chalenj, starting on May 2 at 18h00 on SABC2.
The return of the Sho’t Left Fun Bus — affordable two-night, three-day scheduled tours on a luxury 40-seater coach departing from Johannesburg for Durban and Mpumalanga.
Tours to Durban cost R870 an adult sharing, R1 220 a single adult and R555 a child (two to 18 years). Accommodation is in the Holiday Inn Garden Court South Beach.
The tour to Mpumalanga includes two nights in the Kruger National Park at Berg-en-Dal rest camp on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, a game drive and a tour of Sudwala Caves. It costs R850 an adult sharing, R575 a child sharing with two adults.
For more information contact Maria Modise on Tel: 0861 70 71 72.
South African Tourism is also targeting the corporate, employment and trade union arenas with a series of road shows, which are planned to take place between May and July this year. The shows are aimed at developing a culture of travel in our country. The message is: it’s affordable, it’s do-able and it’s good for you and the economy.
For more information on Sho’t Left and travel in South Africa, contact the Tourism Hotline on Tel: 083 123 6789