SA Tourism's European Roadshow explores packaging the SA story, tourist needs

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She also points out a number of factors that need to be addressed to ensure European tourists flock to South Africa. These are pricing issues, geographic spread, product availability and negative media reports.

Dlamini further says that South Africa’s tourism has to leverage off the repeat business coming from Europe. "These are the people who will assist us with word of mouth, geographic spread and endorse our destination."

Understanding tourist needs

TBCSA CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, believes the engagement will go a long way to helping both the South African tourism industry and tour operators in Switzerland understand each other’s perspectives. "There are a lot of takeaways in terms of how we are to approach the market. That is the central part of this trip: To understand what the tourists are looking for."

Marcel Gehring, CEO of Switzerland’s fourth-largest tour operator, Knecht Reisen, says he was pleased with how South Africa’s public and private sectors are working together to solve numerous issues. "There is a lot of work already being done in South Africa and it gives us security that government and private sectors are working together - even more than they have in the past - on the right topics to get South Africa going."

Gehring says carbon neutrality and sustainability are high on a Swiss tourist’s agenda and South Africa would be wise to promote itself with these issues at the top on its messaging.

Dominic Eckert, managing director of Dreamtime, a tour operator in Switzerland, says he had gained new insight into the South African tourism landscape. "I came here looking for new ideas. There is a lot of opportunities to increase numbers to South Africa. There are heaps of things around you, so you have to focus on them."

TBCSA board member, David Frost, says that the European tourist trade have a lot of confidence in selling South Africa. "They reiterated their support for the destination. The big challenge is to convert the first-timers. The insights we got and the issues they raised means we can sharpen our pencils going back and mobilise resources to actually grow the market."

Next stop for the roadshow

Following the successful Switzerland engagement, the delegation will visit Austria next, meeting with key travel partners in Vienna.