Stellenbosch embarks
on wine tourism campaign
SA’s first and
foremost winelands destination to expand wine tourism footprint
Annareth Bolton (CEO) and Ken Forrester (Chairman)
South Africa’s first
and foremost wine destination, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, has embarked on a
dynamic wine tourism marketing initiative – the Stellenbosch Wine
Experience – in collaboration with Stellenbosch
360. The initiative, which covers the greater Stellenbosch region and
the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, aims to position Stellenbosch as the leading
wine tourism destination in Africa, and amongst the top in the world.
“Stellenbosch is one
of the most significant landmarks of the Cape and although it has a well
established tourism and wine legacy, being the oldest town and wine route in
the country, there is a great need for closer partnership between the wine and
tourism industries supported by a dynamic marketing programme and campaign,”
said Ken Forrester, Chairman of the Stellenbosch Wine Routes.
The initiative is
spearheaded by Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, founder of Destinate, a specialised
destination and marketing agency launched in 2013 after a successful
ten-year stint as the CEO of Cape Town Tourism. Under her leadership, Cape Town
Tourism won critical acclaim as a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) and
was formally recognised by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for its
‘world best practice tourism organisational model and innovative initiatives in
destination marketing’.
“The potential of wine
tourism in South Africa is significant, but then a far greater and more aligned
effort should be made on a local, regional, national and international level to
promote wine tourism. This will hold great benefit for both the tourism and wine
sectors and add to South Africa’s overall appeal as a destination,” said Du
Toit-Helmbold.
Although the
initiative will benefit the region and the wine and tourism sectors at large, a
limited number of wine and tourism-marketing partners are being identified as
marketing partners to ensure direct involvement by the private sector.
“Stellenbosch 360 is
committed to working with Stellenbosch Wine Routes and the wine and tourism
sectors to position Stellenbosch as one of the top wine tourism regions in the
world,” said Annemarie Ferns, CEO of Stellenbosch 360.
“The Stellenbosch Wine
Experience campaign will not only grow the wine tourism sector, but will
benefit the region at large. We will be able to make a much bigger impact
through this joint venture using our limited resources available for
destination marketing more effectively,” she added.
The programme and
campaign kicks off at the Stellenbosch Wine Festival on 24 January 2014 with
the launch of a new interactive wine tourism focused mini-website and blog
called StellenBlog. The region and participating marketing partners will then
be represented at ITB, Berlin in March for the international launch of the
Stellenbosch Wine Experience to the world's top travel trade and media followed
by the Tourism Indaba in May.
Other elements include
a themed annual communication plan to enhance the regional offering and events;
an enhanced digital presence across all social media networks and an innovative
wine tourism blogger campaign with top international and national travel,
lifestyle and food bloggers between April and September.
Growing domestic
tourism and improving visitor numbers over winter are important objectives.
Domestic travellers, families and wine lovers from South Africa, in particular
Gauteng, will be targeted with an appealing events calendar and complementing
wine tourism packages.
“More and more
visitors to our wineries want to engage in wine tourism activities at or near
the site where the wine is produced. Visitors typically learn the history of
the winery, see how the wine is made, and then taste the wines; often
complemented by a fine meal in one of our award-winning restaurants. More and
more wineries offer accommodation, meeting facilities and activities. Wine
remains the ‘hero’, but a lot of focus is placed on the experiences that
complement the wine and provide wineries and establishments with additional
sources of income,” explains Annareth Bolton, CEO of the Stellenbosch Wine
Routes.
For the Stellenbosch
Wine Routes it all started back in the summer of 69 when the famous fearless
visionary trio – the late Frans Malan, beloved patriarch of Simonsig Estate,
the late Neil Joubert of Spier and the inimitable Spatz Sperling of Delheim –
started speaking to authorities to entice visitors to the wine farms in the
Stellenbosch region.
The Stellenbosch Wine
Route was founded officially in 1971 and this pioneering initiative has changed
the face of wine tourism in South Africa. Spawning a host of similar regional
wine routes of which there are 18 today, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes remain
the biggest and most visited of them
all.
The Stellenbosch Wine
Routes now boast 152 wineries as members, offering a myriad of unique
attractions and leisure invitations ranging from modern to time-honoured,
traditional cellars, a spectacular array of restaurants, a vibrant coffee
culture and world-renowned hotels and guest houses, all fringing or filtered
through the historic oak-lined town of Stellenbosch.
For more information
on the Stellenbosch Wine Experience contact Mariette du Toit-Helmbold at experience@wineroute.co.zaor phone 083 225
5955.
