SA Tourism unveils new Sho't Left campaign

Now In its fifth phase, the Sho't Left campaign is aimed at the youth market and stretches to target visitors from neighbouring countries Botswana and Mozambique to explore South Africa' adventure, entertainment and nightlife.

The youth market is being encouraged to take more holidays and leisure holiday activities when visiting relatives, friends and travelling for religious purposes and on business.

Travellers from neighbouring states, including Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland, are said to view South Africa as a shopping destination only. Hence the latest promotion aims to showcase the other experiences that the country has to offer.

Rollout of campaign

The ad campaign launches on TV on 2 September on SABC3 and on 4 September on SABC2 and rolls out in the print media and on national and regional radio in the same week.

According to Sandile Xulu, country manager: domestic, “Sixty eight percent of all domestic travel is undertaken with the purpose of visiting friends and relatives. As a result, many South Africans don't think of themselves as ‘tourists' when they travel. Sho't Left aims to change this perception and instill a tourism culture among young South Africans.”

“We have refocused the Sho't Left campaign to target the young people who want to travel. We want to encourage this market to start going on holiday with friends; hence our entire new creative campaign speaks to this aspect. The newest Sho't Left campaign follows a number of young people as they explore the country. They visit many of South Africa's big cities and the remote scenic spots and the cultural and other attractions.

“This campaign aims to show young South Africans the emotional, educational and social benefits of travel. It shows that although travelling does not deliver a commodity that one can show off, it gives an expanded view of the world, [and] larger and more profound life experiences”.

According to Xulu, “Travelling ups one's street creed and makes one a more interesting human being. The campaign marries the enriching and the fun aspects of travel and offers strong, personal endorsements by people to whom young South Africans can relate.”

According to South African Tourism, in 2007 an estimated 44% (12.7 million) South African adults travelled within the country, resulting in 39 million domestic trips taken.