Historical Cape Edwardian guesthouse in a peaceful area of the historic, picturesque Swellendam. Click here for more >>
Buçaco Sud & Buçaco Sea
Two stylish Betty's Bay guest houses - one on the mountainside; the other right on the shore. Click here for more >>
Cape Point
One of the greatest historical landmarks in the world with an incredible view. Click here for more >>
Hello
Remember the TV series, the A Team, with the signature line: "Don't you love it when a good plan comes together?" Well, after a long hard slog, we're starting to feel a bit like that as CapeInfo's upgrade comes to an end. There is still a lot more to be done, but the emphasis will be switching from systems to content and traffic now.
CapeInfo's old events calendar was one of the most popular components on the site, attracting over 15,000 visits a month. It worked flawlessly for 10 years and replacing it with something better – necessitated by the change to an Open Source platform – was not easy.
The new platform has just been introduced and we appeal to all event organisers to add their events. You need to register and be logged in. (Further info and tips will be added to the Forum & Help section in the next few days.) The new system is much more search engine friendly and allows event organisers to edit their content once it has been added. The venue needs to be added before an event can be added, and the venue listings alone will be a useful resource. Have a look at the Baxter Theatre Centre as an example of venue information.
The new system also allows photographs to be included and we will be enhancing the layout and content over time.
Click here to visit the new events calendar to see what's on and add your events. (Remember that you can only add events once logged in.)
Please enourage local event organisers and tourism bureaux to get local events listed. Nothing gets visitors to visit an area better than events.
The new CapeInfo is bursting with new features! It is time to visit it again, click here!
If you're looking for a detailed, long-term weather forecast, you can't do better than our new 10-day forecast. And if you log in, you can set the forecast to your city or town – anywhere in the world.
Now, if you have an accommodation establishment, surely that's something to print out for your guests each day?
CapeInfo's new Photo Gallery has already proved very popular. We've still got many pics to add and we hope you will share your favourites with us.
Please tell your guests about this too.
A picture says 1000 words. Well the new directory system makes the most of that and Seidelberg Wine Estate's new directory listing has the pics to capitalise on the new layout.
We've always advised businesses to invest in really good images and Seidelberg's just make you want to visit... now!
We urge urge all businesses to review their content and keep it up to date. For tips on how to do this, use the Forum & Help section!
In the last half of 2006, CapeInfo suggested that we work together with the publisher of the Riebeek Valley Handbook and Riebeek Valley Reporter. They would handle all local sales for CapeInfo and earn 50% of all income. CapeInfo would publish the Reporter and manage the subscription list (which has grown from 280 to 710 in the period). But nothing came in from his side and CapeInfo published the newsletter for free for over a year.
At the end of last year, we said that this cannot continue and offered to find sponsors for the newsletter or generate more local support. We were told to leave it, he would handle this.
Jast after we distributed the February newsletter we were informed that sponsors had been found and CapeInfo was no longer required. We discovered that he had registered a new domain on January 22 and his new website was already live.
Of course we were sad, having invested so much in the Riebeek Valley Reporter and since we have a genuine attachment to the Valley. The final slap in the face was the magnanimous offer of R100 for us to extract the Reporter's mailing list from CapeInfo's SQL database, export it and convert it for his use.
It appears that the expanded business plans to focus on contraversy in the Valley, which is really sad. CapeInfo will update its content on the Valley and we're sure we will attract more local support. And, as always, CapeInfo's content will be factual and can be trusted! For the facts on the current PPC saga, click here.
If Riebeek Valley Reporter subscribers wish to subscribe to CapeInfo News, please click here.
Who keeps the score?
About a month ago, CTRU trumpted the figures achieved by their campaign on lastminute.com.
We weren't impressed so took it up with Su Birch, CTRU's deputy chair, asking if they actually know good figures from bad. She responded that "this is the first international digital promotion by CTRU... it is an exciting and dynamic learning experience."
Now that's not true – the campaign has been running since 2006.
CTRU reports that their 2008 campaign cost R445,000 and covers the UK, German and US markets. They could only provide results from the UK, which achieved 414 bookings during January-April (worth R455,843).
A hospitality industry marketing expert described this as a "pretty sad return" and couldn't find the CTRU promotion when he looked for it.
The same campaign for the same period last year attracted 272 passengers. Now for the crunch
The 2006 CTRU annual report states that during January 2006 alone, there were 1,219 bookings from the lastminute.com campaign.
"Another reason to visit"
That's CTRU's new R6 million domestic campaign that kicked off at the beginning of April. They say it's their biggest yet, and aims to redress the fact SA's top destination brand only comes sixth in the number of domestic tourists it attracts.
We're told that the call centre was closed the single time the ad appeared in the Sunday Times. We asked CTRU about this but received no reply.
Please God! We are so tired of having little nice to say about them. If you don't know by now, CTRU stands for Cape Town Routes Unlimited – destination marketing organisation for Cape Town & the Western Cape.
We were not impressed by the new leadership team announced by the Board because it promised more of the same. Calvyn Gilfellan was confirmed as CEO, having been acting CEO since March last year.
The board also announced the appointments of Itumeleng Pooe and David Frandsen as executive managers. Pooe, who will take responsibility for marketing in South Africa, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, was CEO of the Franschhoek Valley Wine Tourism Association.
Frandsen takes responsibility for marketing to Europe and the Americas. He has been with CTRU since it started and has been running the Integrated Marketing Services portfolio for the past 18 months.
Gilfellan is the wildcard here; we like him although we haven't been impressed by his efficiency in the past. We do hope that, as CEO, he will rise to the challenges... and provides the leadership his board needs. Successive boards have had a torrid time in the absence of management leadership.
To be successful, he needs to be tough and have the vision to lead CTRU out of their embattled trenches. He needs to be intolerant of the mediocrity that abounds at CTRU. He needs to inject vitality and confidence by exposing his staff to the brightest and the best... and then empower them. There is no place for defensiveness!
CapeInfo's recipe for success
Ditch the mouthful Cape Town Routes Unlimited – destination marketing organisation for Cape Town & the Western Cape forever and say it all in no more than three words. Few names have been so tainted by failure.
Change the corporate culture —
Earn industry acclaim, not political kudos
Become a learning organisation
Outsource: own little, influence it all
Innovate, differentiate, communicate
We do have something nice to say!
We were very impressed by CTRU's latest Western Cape Tourism Barometer – March 2008. (It's a 1Mb PDF file, so downloading it needs a little patience.) It's full of really useful data.
Part of CTRU's claimed success comes largely from the strength of the Cape Town brand. Interestingly, in CTRU's own brand survey conducted by Nielsen, "Cape Town" achieved 57% recognition; "Cape Town & Western Cape" only 34%... talk about diluting the brand! The City of Cape Town's logo rated (by far) the highest recognition – 11.2% with the next attribute (Cape Town Tourism) coming in at 4.6%. We couldn't find any mention of how the DMO's logo fared.
If you have content on CapeInfo, this is for you! It is essential that you register online and "claim" your page. CapeInfo has a new directory system and this is needed in order to do the following:
Your full physical address is needed to appear in the location searches. If your details are not comprehensive, you will not be found in these searches.
Update your copy and pictures. Please check your content and also make sure none of the pictures you added are pixelating with the new display system! Instead of displaying small pics, you may wish to use the new system.
Approve reviews for publication and reply to those reviews you wish to reply to.
When proximity search is added soon, postal codes are used to locate the area you are in and you will also be required to locate your business on the map if you want a map included on your page.
To start editing your directory page, you need to register at capeinfo.com (top left hand side of the page) and then "claim" your content (bottom of your directory page). There is more comprehensive information which we urge you to read in our Forum & Help section. If you have questions, please ask them there so others can share the answers.
I look forward to your newsletter every month. Unlike many of the other newsletters received by email these days, it is informative with pertinent discussion on Cape Tourism and it's 'political' context. Keep up the good work. Carol Sachs, Treehaven, Plettenberg Bay
