Innovative African collaboration paves the way for new era in tourism marketing 

A groundbreaking partnership between Cape Town Tourism and Victoria Falls Tourism is redefining how African destinations approach marketing. Their initiative, “Africa Wonders,” captivated audiences on the first day of World Travel Market (WTM) Africa. Carel Stadler of Cape Town Tourism and Shelley Cox of We Are Victoria Falls unveiled the compelling success story behind their collaboration during a presentation titled “Reimagining African Tourism Marketing: Insights from the Africa Wonders Collaboration.” 

Africa Wonders is a bold initiative that aims to break down traditional silos in tourism marketing. It encourages African tourism boards to cooperate, share resources and expertise, and amplify their collective reach. The partnership between Cape Town and Victoria Falls was strategically crafted. The destinations were chosen for their unique offerings, shared values, and overlap in key markets like Germany, the UK, and South Africa. 

A highlight of the collaboration is the transfer of valuable knowledge from Cape Town Tourism to Victoria Falls. This exchange, following a focused site inspection, enabled Victoria Falls to adapt successful strategies and data collection methods, improving the visitor experience. 

Despite budget constraints, the partners demonstrated an impressive ability to maximise their impact. The “Wonder 2 Wonder” campaign, aimed at UK travellers with the tagline “Wonder 2 Wonder. One journey. Two wonders. One heart,” used video marketing and targeted digital ads. Operating on a modest budget of 13,000 GBP, the campaign successfully boosted bookings and flights to both destinations. 

The Africa Wonders initiative provides a powerful lesson: collaboration and innovation can overcome limited resources, setting a new standard for African destination marketing. This pioneering project serves as a model for other tourism boards on the continent. By joining forces, they can harness the combined power of their attractions to compete more effectively in the global market. The insights shared at WTM Africa signal that the future of African tourism lies in unity and a willingness to disrupt traditional approaches.