Inter-agency and public-private partnership Cape Town and Western Cape air connectivity initiative Cape Town Air Access (CTAA) has announced it is partnering with Cape Town-based and leading African online travel agency Travelstart, to promote tourism to the town of George, and the adjacent Garden Route and Klein Karoo. (The CTAA initiative is headed by Western Cape trade, investment and tourism promotion agency Wesgro.)

“We are on a mission to achieve the kind of economic growth we need to create many more jobs, to lift more people out of poverty, and to spread prosperity across the length and breadth of the province,” affirmed Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities Minister Mireille Wenger. “Domestic tourism has a very important role to play in helping us achieve this, which is why the partnership with Travelstart is so very exciting as it will give people from across South Africa the opportunity to come and enjoy the wonderful and diverse offerings we have across the Western Cape.”

“We’re extremely excited about our partnership with [CTAA], powered by Wesgro, combining reduced airfares, AI [artificial intelligence] and strategic campaigns,” highlighted Travelstart CEO Stephan F Ekbergh. “Together, we will aim to not only enhance the traveller experience but also drive tourism, spur economic growth, and create job opportunities in the Western Cape. George has been an integral part of our Black Friday sale with both flights and packages performing very well.”

The campaign has three main elements. There will be “robust” marketing of the town and its adjacent areas, particularly focused on the months before and after the peak (southern) summer holiday season. Further, Travelstart will digitise the experience of the travellers and integrate it with its own AI Travel Assistant to help tourists create personalised travel experiences, including itineraries, advice and money-saving tips.

Second, the campaign has entered into package deals with airlines, to reduce air fares to George in the months immediately before and after the peak season. Introduced last month these will be reintroduced in February and run until the middle of June next year. These deals, aimed at families and groups, will reduce air fares into George by up to R400 per passenger.

And third, the company will make use of its existing partnerships with the region’s hotels, guest houses and attractions to develop a range of cost-effective holiday experiences for tourists visiting the area.

“The use of AI in this campaign aligns with Wesgro’s drive to be innovative, finding new ways to position Cape Town and the Western Cape on both global and domestic stages,” pointed out Wesgro CEO and CTAA official spokesperson Wrenelle Stander. “Furthermore, this strategic campaign exemplifies the importance of leveraging public-private partnerships to foster economic development, sustain jobs and drive catalytic growth in the region.”