Global Trends From ITB Berlin Show Stellenbosch Destination Marketing To Be Right On Track

18 March 2015 - by - Stellenbosch Experience

Stellenbosch mingled with trade and media; meeting with the likes of Falstaff gourmet magazine, Reisen Exklusiv, Sdafrika Magazin, Reisefieber, Genieen & reisen magazine, and Berliner Morgenpost.

In addition, an exclusive wine evening for top international bloggers, media and trade was hosted by Stellenbosch at which Kleine Zalze wines and Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel were served. Guests included Slow Travel Berlin, Tripadvisor, iAmbassador, Traveldudes, Harpers Bazaar Germany and Die WELT magazine.

Annemarie Ferns, CEO of Stellenbosch 360 attended ITB Berlin and shares: ITB Berlin is one of the biggest tourism trade shows in the world, making it the perfect platform from which to share our regions offerings with trade and media. Of particular importance this year was promoting our authentic experiences, such as dining with locals, cycling and hiking through the vineyards or Jonkershoek, as well as the towns caf culture.

Annareth Bolton, CEO of Stellenbosch Wine Routes also comments; ITB Berlin was very good, with a lot of hard work going into the planning of our attendance of the trade show. It is difficult to stand out, as there are so many wonderful destinations to choose from around the world. It was important to follow-up with the connections we made last year and to see the results of our hard work in 2014, but it was also great to see that our campaign is right on track when one looks at global travel trends. We are light years ahead of most other international wine regions. The need for individualized, tailor-made travel is big, and that is exactly what we specialize in - connecting travellers with locals and giving them the opportunity to immerse themselves in our region and culture.

This years annual ITB World Travel Trends Report revealed that Stellenbosch is indeed heading in the right direction with the Stellenbosch Experience initiative, sharing the food and wine capitals offerings with the world through the eyes of locals and international explorers, using primarily digital marketing.

Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, owner of Destinate and the driving force of the Stellenbosch Experience campaign says; Travel is changing. Its all about authentic experiences and immersing yourself in the local culture. This change has largely been driven by Millennials and so will continue to be the case for some time, even intruding into the more traditional travel methods of older generations. Stellenboschs wine and tourism offerings are certainly on trend when it comes to providing travellers with a unique experience and the approach we take on sharing information and stories about the town and its offerings via digital and social media channels are spot on too.

Ahead of winter, the Stellenbosch Experience is launching a Winter in the Winelands campaign with a focus on the town as a family-friendly and affordable destination for all seasons. This campaign will see value-added Stay & Play winter packages on offer that check all the right boxes in terms of ultimate bucket-list encounters in Stellenbosch from budget to luxury, but all with great value for money at the core.

The Stellenbosch Experience campaign is made possible by partners like Kleine Zalze, Spier, Stellenbosch Vineyards, Tokara, Lourensford and Jordan Wines.

Read {93} times