ISSUED BY DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
ON BEHALF OF WINES OF
SOUTH AFRICA (WOSA) ACTING FOR GREAT WINE CAPITALS GLOBAL NETWORK
With China now the fourth biggest source of
foreign tourists to South Africa, domestic wineries should not be
underestimating their buying power, according to Bradley Brouwer, South African
Tourism regional manager for Asia Pacific.
Last year, over 130 000 Chinese travellers
visited the country, a growth of over 50% on 2011. Numbers are expected to rise
significantly after Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Jacob Zuma
jointly declared 2014 the “Year of South Africa” in China, at this year's BRICS
summit. Already new visa application centres have been opened in Beijing and
Shanghai.
"Research shows that China is set to
become the biggest market in the world for wine after the US. With the
preference still very much for imported wines, now is the time for more
South African producers to start capitalising on the growth in travel and the
interest in wine."
Brouwer, who has worked for South African
Tourism in Asia since 2007 and currently has responsibility for the markets in
China, Japan and Korea, was at Vergelegen in Helderberg to address guests
attending the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards earlier today
(November 27). Vergelegen was judged South Africa's outright winner at the
international Great Wine Capitals annual general meeting in California earlier
this month (November).
He said local wineries should capitalise more
on the benefits flowing from growing Chinese affluence and interest in world
travel by becoming more attuned to the needs of these tourists.
"The same holds for Japanese and Korean
travellers, who are increasing in number to South Africa. Last year Japanese
travel to South Africa rose by 31% on 2011."
Currently, China is number 14 on the list of
South Africa's wine export destinations. Japan is in 16th place. Sales to both
are rising, with sales to China up 8% for the 12 months to September, 2013, and
to Japan by 31%.
He said that just because tourists were on a
tight schedule and didn't necessarily spend much time at each winery they
visited, it did not mean they were not interested in purchasing wine and other
memorabilia.
"Visitors from Mainland China, for
example, will generally travel for eight to 14 days. They come to South Africa
for the scenic beauty, the culture, the history, the wildlife and,
increasingly, for the wine and opportunity to play golf. They can accommodate
no more than two wineries and they want to be hosted with efficiency and
cultural respect. They want to taste, take pictures and buy wine, with the
facilities readily available to courier their purchases back home. They are not
interested in long narratives or being kept waiting."
Visits to wineries generally lasted between 45
and 90 minutes, he said.
He stressed the importance of gearing up for
large groups. "In the first quarter of 2014, for example, we have a group
of 5 000 visitors to the Winelands within the space of a week. This is just the
tip of the iceberg if the potential is managed correctly."
Wineries could enhance their relationships
with Asian visitors by providing take-away information in Mandarin for the Chinese,
and translating such information into Japanese and Korean for consumers from
these markets. "Giving tourism offices information in these languages
would also help them in raising the media profile of South Africa and its
wineries."
Mainland China's interest in celebrities and
icons had prompted SA Tourism to regularly host high-profile personalities on
visits to South Africa, ensuring they visited iconic spots like Table Mountain,
Robben Island, Boulders Beach (to see the penguins), and the V&A Waterfront.
"Local wineries have not yet acquired iconic status but by raising their
media profile, especially through social media, this is possible."
He urged wineries to focus not just on
large-scale groups but on the increasing number of Asian tourists coming as
family units. "Most Chinese couples have one child. Provide activities for
the children and show them educational audio-visual material so they can learn
about South African wine. They are your future consumers."
He said the potential growth of the
conferencing market was also significant. "Wineries may not be hosting the
conferences but delegates will definitely be visiting wine farms as part of
their itineraries.
Brouwer also urged wineries to acknowledge the
customs of their visitors. "Never take a business card and put it in your
pocket. Take it with both hands and do not put it away until your visitors have
left. Avoid black or white or black and white packaging as these colours
symbolise death, as does the number 4."
