CAPE Town Tourism (CTT) is to invest heavily in technology in the next two years to turn more of the three million enquiries handled annually by its 20 visitor information centres into bookings for its member companies.
Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CTT ceo, told the organisation last week, CTT's key focus was the development and implementation of a data management and booking system that would enable it to manage visitor and membership information more effectively, convert more enquiries into reservations and analyse information and visitor trends.
CTT chairman, Arno Vorster, announced that CTT would rollout new digital multi-media units with plasma and touch screens all over the city as part of its 2010 expanded visitor network plan.
Vorster said after new visitor centres (VICs) at Table Mountain, Willowbridge, Canal Walk and Strand, more were now planned at Mitchell's Plain, Look Out Hill, Two Oceans Craft Centre and in Gordon's Bay. Mobile and unmanned VICs were also planned.
He said CTT membership had grown by 35% in 2006/7 to 2 300 businesses. It had supported more than 1 000 emerging businesses, funded membership fees of more than 80 black emerging tourism entrepreneurs, trained and supported more than 700 accommodation businesses to be bookable online and generated R1m worth of online bookings for these businesses.
It had reached 2 100 members through monthly topical workshops and conducted 1 500 quality assurance inspections of accommodation providers and tour operators. Between June 2006 and the end of July 2007, CTT's BEE membership grew by more than 200%. The estimated value from marketing and reservations linked to events and conferences was R10m. The estimated value of film and guest relations support services and media coverage received through about 50 different TV programmes exceeded R15m.
