“Discussions around South Africa’s attractions have an
invaluable impact for wine farms and their owners, as it is through collaborative
tourism efforts that farms are starting to see more and more visitor numbers
annually,” says Newton, who will attend Attractions Africa 2015 in Cape Town on
3 and 4 June 2015.
“Something like the City Sightseeing
Hop-on/Hop-off bus routes have been great for us at Groot Constantia. Numbers
are steadily increasing year-on-year and this has led to us having to seriously
look at infrastructure in terms of toilets, sales points, the offering at our
restaurants and how people access the museum. I believe that the success of our
partnerships here is a significant one.”
Wine estates are a significant part of South
Africa’s attraction makeup and offer an experience like no other, in that every
estate is unique in its offering on site and in its wines, in terms of its
history, romance and the aesthetic appeal of the natural surroundings.
So while wineries have plenty of tourism assets, the
conference is where industry players can learn from each other and the managers
of other attractions on how best to leverage these locally and internationally.
“An example of how leveraging an asset can boost
your status as an attraction, was the impact of our winning the Best Chardonnay
in the World in this year’s Chardonnay du Monde judging. It has been fantastic
for us. Visitor numbers are up significantly and sales are incredible at the
moment. We sold out of the Chardonnay in 10 days and are still getting queries
daily,” says Newton.
Attractions Africa 2015 will feature an array of
visionary local and international experts including Dutch Futurist Albert Postma,
who provides a view into the tourism of tomorrow; as well as Mariette du Toit-Helmbold on digital
marketing, and Claus Tworeck on the evolution of City Sightseeing from
transport company to an attraction in its own right.
“This is the only forum in South Africa for
attractions to network with peers from multiple tourism industries,” said
Sabine Lehmann, Managing Director of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, and Chair
of Attractions Africa. “It is an opportunity to share experiences and engage in
rich discussions. The insights gained will contribute to personal and
professional growth, as well as assist in creating magical experiences that
drive repeat business.”
For further details visit http://attractionsafrica.co.za, email info@attractionsafrica.co.za or call Attractions Africa on 021 683 2934. Follow @Attractions_Afr on Twitter and tweet using #Attractions15.