WEDNESDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2000: Today saw the handover of South Africa's domestic tourism-awareness initiative, known as the "Welcome campaign", to Satour (South Africa's tourism marketing body).

The campaign, championed by Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Valli Moosa, was successfully launched with the help of South African Airways (SAA) in December 1999. Exposure to the value of R20 million has been put behind the campaign to date with SAA providing seed capital for an above-the-line campaign that spans print, radio and television. The campaign hopes to turn South Africans into domestic tourism ambassadors and highlights the importance of tourism to the domestic market.

The campaign was designed to compliment South Africa's International Tourism Marketing Campaign (commenced in January 2000) which was launched in six key markets. The Welcome campaign will be integrated into a holistic movement that will see it taken to a grass-roots level by harnessing the support of local councils and tourism bodies. This will see the Welcome campaign become the domestic arm of Satour's overall marketing vision.

The campaign has been well supported with corporates such as National Brands. FNB, ABSA, Avis, ACSA, Vodacom, Imperial Group, Pick 'n Pay, Sun International, CC Africa and Southern Sun committing support. Corporate involvement has included editorial support, airtime, product endorsement, finance, in-house training schemes, welcome bags for tourists and numerous other promotions. Vodacom has also announced a R2-million, sponsorship making them a new level-one "Welcome" sponsor.

"The second phase of the campaign will see greater emphasis on outreach and mobilisation, this campaign is completely reliant on both the social and financial commitment of corporate South Africa. It is important that South African corporates commit to making tourism a viable and tangible economic growth sector. We look forward to other companies joining us in getting actively involved in this campaign," said Moss Mashishi, acting chief executive of Satour.

The campaign intends challenging public attitudes toward tourism and is an awareness campaign that hopes to turn South Africa into a tourist nation. As with its international marketing campaign Satour will embark on a number of activities that will see the Welcome campaign involved in creative projects aimed at mobilising South Africans at all levels.

"It is important that South Africa becomes tourism-driven, this is a sector that has such large job creation potential it would be unforgivable for the country not to focus its resources in this direction. Satour will during the course of 2000 actively market South Africa globally but, unless all South Africans are prepared for the influx of tourists we hope to gain, no amount of international marketing will turn us into a tourist nation. It is for this reason that the Welcome campaign is of the utmost importance -- through it Satour hopes to prepare South Africans, both at home and abroad, to the need to be ambassadors. We hope to create a strong service oriented tourism industry and this can only be done with the help of South Africans at all levels. Service includes a friendly smile and helpful word for the confused German national waiting in line to board a plane to South Africa and not only the frontline line staff at a hotel," continued Mr Mashishi.

The objectives for the Welcome campaign in 2000 include making the campaign as visible as possible by linking it to key dates, events and initiatives throughout the year. Numerous activities are planned for the year, including holiday activities in April, an Indaba trade show Welcome concert in May, Welcome bags for tourists, training initiatives by DEAT and tourism inserts on numerous radio stations. This year will also see a renewed focus on Tourism Month in September with clean-up campaigns, consumer events and a "Welcome" train promotion.

Issued by: Gillian Gamsy International on behalf of Roshene Singh -- Satour Welcome Campaign
Contact: Thandi Davids/Lorraine Mofokeng
Tel: (011) 728-1363
Fax: (011) 728-6613
E-mail: thdggi@icon.co.za or lorrainggi@icon.co.za