Newsletter | August 2023

SCTIE NEWSLETTER | August 2023

KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE SOUTH COAST

Phelisa Mangcu

CEO of South Coast
Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE)

Welcome to our first quarterly tourism newsletter as we look back on our winter tourism season and celebrate the success of our annual Sardine Run!

While winter is traditionally a time when travel is limited, the KZN South Coast continues to attract holidaymakers because of our year-round good climate, affordable outdoor adventures, and the Sardine Run – our calendar highlight. This year did not disappoint with several nettings taking place along our shores, and by sharing images and photos on our social media pages, we were able to reel in tourists who wanted to catch the action. This coincided with the launch of our Beach-to-Beach Tour Package Launch providing visitors with a new way to experience the Sardine Run and the annual humpback whale migration.

Over the Easter weekend, we had occupancy rates of 60% which, when compared with other tourism regions is fairly consistent in the current economic climate. The S&P Global Market Intelligence released an overview of tourism numbers from 2018 to 2022, and while we’re not quite at pre-pandemic figures, it’s safe to say we’re right on track. The collation of our Winter Occupancy Rates Survey will undoubtedly shed more light on winter season trends and guide us on marketing going forward.

We’re heading into a busy tourism period with September being the celebration of both Tourism Month and Heritage Month. We will use this time to showcase the KZN South Coast’s many unique tourism assets, including our incredible heritage offerings that encourage exploration of our hinterland. We also have the Sho’t Left Travel Week annual tourism sale from 4 to 10 September where South Africans get up to 50% off of travel experiences, accommodation, and historical and cultural tours. We encourage you to share any specials you have with us over this time so we can promote them on our platforms.

There is a lot to look forward to in the coming months, but first, have a read through our newsletter and take a look at how far we’ve come.

MARKETING UPDATE

This quarter, we have continued to promote the KZN South Coast as a premier beach destination, highlighting the fact that we retain the highest number of Blue Flag Beaches in the province, with abundant outdoor adventure experiences on land and in the water. The Sardine Run was a major drawcard for our winter tourism, with a focus on September as Heritage and Tourism Month allowing us to feature the great hinterland tours and experiences.

Marketing Campaigns

Uncover Adventure has been our overriding message, with the quarterly campaigns tying in with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s theme of Tourism and Green Investment – Investing in people, planet and prosperity.



Tourism Awareness Campaign		#buylocal Campaign

This is an internal campaign that encourages our residents and local businesses to be proud ambassadors of the KZN South Coast, particularly in the run-up to Tourism Month.		The Tourism Awareness Campaign also ties in well with the #buylocal messaging which encourages support for our local businesses to create a more resilient economy.



#greatestshoalonearth Campaign		#extendyourstay Campaign

Finally, the long-awaited Sardine Run arrived! This is one of our biggest annual tourism attractions and we kept the public updated on all our social media platforms, as well as in the mainstream media.		Promoting the KZN South Coast as a year-round holiday destination is vital for our tourism economy. This continues to be supported through the #extendyourstay digital campaign which showcases our ‘Member Specials‘ on the destination site as well as social media posts.


	Activations

	The Sardine Winter Festival

	From 16 June to 16 July, holidaymakers were welcomed to various beachside and hinterland locations where they enjoyed family-friend activities. Organised by One Way Productions and supported by SCTIE, the Sardine Winter Festival was promoted via traditional and social media platforms. Holidaymakers were also encouraged to share pictures of themselves in the Margate Beach selfie frame for further exposure.

Media Fam Trips



Walk4Africa Fam Trip		Cappello’s Port Shepstone Media Fam Trip

We were delighted to welcome The Fossil (aka Desmond Langkilde) and his rescue husky, Jaxx, from Walk4Africa.org who are on a charity expedition raising funds for the SPCA and Husky Rescue South Africa.		South Coast Culinary Experience! We played host to local media while celebrating the launch of Cappello’s Restaurant in Port Shepstone on 26 and 27 August.

KZN has the Warmest Winters & Best Beach Experience Media Fam Trip

From 9 to 10 June, we launched the winter campaign alongside Tourism KZN (TKZN) which welcomed the media to explore the KZN South Coast. It was a fun-filled weekend that showcased our diverse tourism offerings on land and water, with the weather proving why we’re a year-round holiday destination. The trip included a horse ride at Selsdon Park Estate, an ocean safari with Offshore Adventures, extreme adventures with Wild 5 Adventures and shisanyama at Senzi’s on Faya.


	New Tourism Packages

	Beach-to-Beach Tour Package Launch

	Media representatives, tour guides and other stakeholders were invited to experience part of the 38km Beach-to-Beach Adventure Hike at the official launch on 23 June. This is a guided hike extending from Port Edward to St Michael’s beaches and was launched to coincide with our world-famous Sardine Run as well as the annual humpback whale migration.

PUBLIC RELATIONS UPDATE


	We promoted our impactful marketing campaigns through several dedicated press releases shared with local and national media houses. In addition to the positive marketing exposure, we were able to address the water issue raised by FEDHASA (the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa) and subsequent media reports concerning water supply challenges on the KZN South Coast. By engaging directly with journalists and supplying updated comments supported by factual reports from Ugu District Municipality, we were able to address concerns, assist with reputation management and emphasise the KZN South Coast as a quality holiday destination. We will continue to monitor the situation and engage with stakeholders wherever we can assist.

ADVERTISING UPDATE


	We amplified our tourism messaging across digital platforms and publications this quarter. On our social media platforms, we launched our tourist-friendly awareness campaigns which encourage local residents and businesses to welcome tourists to the region, as well as showcasing our key tourism assets – Blue Flag Beaches, world-class dive sites, and the annual Sardine Run. Our unique heritage sites and experiences were also featured in adverts in Travel Ideas and African Safari’s Magazine.

DIGITAL MEDIA UPDATE



	Website		Social Media

	All three of our websites have been updated with new, engaging content uploaded daily to the tourism website. This includes information related to our KZN South Coast offerings which is shared through the Events Calendar, Blog, Specials, Tour Packages, Press Releases, the digital Visitor Information Centre (VIC) Portal, and seasonal research for occupancy rates and visitor satisfaction.		We have continued to focus on multimedia and video clip content for our social media pages, resulting in a positive upward trend of new ‘Followers’ and audience engagement. We are also excited to announce the launch of our new TikTok account (handle: sctiekznsouthcoast) which has been garnering significant attention.

	Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

	We have continued to successfully implement SEO and include a variety of new topics with SEO articles to cover more categories including things to see and do. We have seen an increase in the total organic search traffic indicating positive growth in website accessibility and brand visibility through search engines.



	Explore the KZN South Coast app		Database Management and Updates

	The app is updated almost daily and has successfully revolutionised the way our audience explores and experiences new destinations, with one of its standout features the user-friendly interface that makes it easy for travellers to navigate and access relevant information.		Our tourism and investment database has been consistently growing in categories, proving to be a valuable resource for ongoing marketing efforts.

	Seasonal Campaign Tourism Research

	Each quarter, we undertake seasonal research and we are currently collecting data for the Winter Occupancy Rates Survey, to better understand tourism trends during this holiday season. The data collected is processed and disseminated to provide insights for market analysis and the development of effective marketing strategies. This provides a picture of how well destinations are attracting visitors, which is crucial for decision-making. The research will be available under ‘Media’, with its drop-down menu to ‘Research‘.

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Tourism Graduates Mentorship Forum

On 25 July, we invited five local host employers to attend the mentorship workshop at Moses Mabhida Stadium, organised by the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA). Representatives from Port Shepstone Maritime Museum, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, Information Centre Holiday Accommodation & Permanent Rentals, Margate Municipal Art Museum, and Ramsgate Tourism Office were instructed on the roles and responsibilities of mentors in the workplace.



SMMEs Bookkeeping Training		KZN Youth Entrepreneurship Seminar

On 20 and 21 June we partnered with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) to facilitate bookkeeping training at the SEDA offices in Port Shepstone.		On 26 June, we accompanied three SMMEs from Ugu District to the provincial youth entrepreneurship seminar in iXopo, organised by TKZN and other stakeholders.

Keep Updated

There is always so much happening on the KZN South Coast! Please feel free to share our newsletter with other interested parties and encourage them to sign up for updates. Please also submit any specials that you may be aware of for our #extendyourstay campaign, and share any blog content while making use of our numerous marketing opportunities.

	If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free ‘Explore KZN South Coast’ app from Google Play and Apple app stores. We urge you to encourage visitors to also download the app for regular updates on our tourism offerings. Information can also be found by visiting South Coast Tourism on Facebook; South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise on YouTube; @infosouthcoast on Twitter or Instagram; Info Ugu South Coast Tourism on LinkedIn; and www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za to check out the Events Calendar, the KZN South Coast Meeting Planner Guide and more! And click here to check our previous SCTIE newsletters.

	To find out more about the KZN South Coast’s investment opportunities, contact 039 682 7944, email info@sctie.co.za or visit www.investkznsouthcoast.co.za.