The City of Cape Town’s “This Is Cape Town tourism” campaign has now expanded to major international cities, including New York, London, and various European markets. Launched last year by Mayco Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, the initiative aims to boost international travel demand and support tourism-related jobs.

Vos states that the campaign’s focus is to translate global visibility into actual travel bookings and economic activity in Cape Town. To achieve this, the strategy includes digital billboards and public transport advertising in selected areas. In the United States and the United Kingdom, vehicle-based advertising is utilized, with digital screens installed on yellow taxis in New York and black cabs wrapped with campaign branding in London. Additionally, some London taxis feature in-cab advertising from Virgin Atlantic, complete with a QR code linking to flight bookings.

The campaign has also gone live on Connected TV platforms in Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany. Vos explains that this initiative is part of a larger effort to improve Cape Town’s international air connectivity. Since the introduction of United Airlines’ direct Newark-Cape Town route in 2019, approximately 3,500 passenger seats have been available in its first year. By 2026, this number is projected to increase to 91,749 seats, with the addition of a direct Washington D. C. -Cape Town service.

In the UK market, Virgin Atlantic has increased its London-Cape Town flights to seven per week during the current peak period, up from three per week in December 2021. This adds to the 28 direct flights per week from London to Cape Town, operated by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Norse Atlantic Airways.

According to City figures, tourism contributed an estimated R27. 5 billion to Cape Town’s economy in 2024, supporting over 106,000 jobs. Vos hopes to increase these numbers through targeted marketing in key source markets. The campaign has already reached over 17 million people on Meta platforms in cities such as São Paulo, Lusaka, and Nairobi within a month.

The City plans to roll out the campaign in China, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia in the coming months. With the expansion of the “This Is Cape Town tourism” campaign, Cape Town is determined to attract more international visitors and boost its economy through the tourism industry.