NELSON MANDELA BAY TOURISM POWER UPDATE

New direction for Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism - first Power Update where we will include short snippets to inspire you and give you ideas to use as we all move towards our tourism recovery.

OUR POWER UPDATE YOUR WINDOW ONTO A REAL RECOVERY OF TOURISM IN NELSON MANDELA BAY

Yes, the tourism world is tired and messy and confusing. But now, we need to be like a sculptor to recover. We need to visualise what the completed sculpture will look like and then chip away, every day, together. The little acts will lead to an exponential growth of our unique tourism personality in Nelson Mandela Bayand the offerings that enhance this. This is our first Power Update where we will include short snippets to inspire you and give you ideas to use as we all move towards our tourism recovery.

Our Refocussed Direction as NMBT

We believe that we can change the tourism marketing landscape by focussing on the visitor experience delivered by you, our members, to our visitors. We have moved away from trying to be all tourism things to all people. Our focus moving ahead will be on you as our tourism members and coaching you to be part of a team that makes Nelson Mandela Bay one of the top 3 most recommended destinations in Southern Africa. We will be launching our new brand and strategy on 2 June and would love to see you there.

Saving Our Penguins!

NMBT joined ranks with a number of organizations that have been working to re-instate the moratorium on the issuing of further licenses for Ship-to-ship Bunkering in Algoa Bay which was unexpectedly dropped by SAMSA. This would have seen at least 2 more licenses being issued, putting our amazing eco-diversity in and around our islands at further risk. It seems the legal route is the way to get attention these days and the result is that the South African Marine Safety Authority have extended the moratorium of granting of new ship to ship fuel transfer licenses, until a comprehensive risk assessment has been carried out. A very big thank you to the all the groups and people doing the hard work behind the scenes including our shy Board Member, Lloyd Edwards, of Raggy Charters. 

All Together Now!

The past 2 years have proved the power of collaboration. Scientists around the world have shared their knowledge and ideas about viruses and together they developed effective vaccines in record time. In tourism none of us can do this work alone. We have to embrace a future built on a bedrock of collaboration and cooperation instead of exclusive competition. It’s time to create our own miracles together and and all rise together as the tide rises. When tourism industry partners intentionally come together with a specific goal, the momentum is built to make real and meaningful changes from within. What could this look like for you?

What’s More NB Than Good Guest "THINGS TO DO" Information?

This aspect is expected by your visitors and will not result in repeat visits. Most important, and sadly very poorly delivered in NMB, is encouraging visitors to do activities in the Metro and possibly stay longer. Most rooms that I have inspected in our area have had either no information on experiences or a worn plastic folder with brochures simply stuck into the sleeves. Increasingly, especially after COVID-19, tourists visit a destination based on the activities that it offers. Poor information and unenthusiastic front desk staff simply achieve 2 things. Firstly, it prevents extra days being booked with you and, secondly, the valuable social media posts by our visitors are limited to what the visitors stumble across. Two ways to achieve less bednights! A s your innovative partner, NMBT will make sure that this element is a priority in our new Strategy Plan.

Easter Weekend

The 2022 Splash Festival that took place at King’s Beach was a big improvement on the previous festivals. Our congratulations to those involved. Our challenges for next year are obvious. The festival and its program were not promoted until a day or 2 before the festival weekend and thus had no impact on our visitor numbers. The festival was a very pleasant outing but has lost the edge regarding specific events or activities that are unique to the Splash and would cause visitors to book in NMB because of it. Our early reports from our hotels indicate a disasterous average Easter Weekend occupancy rate of about 35%. Hopefully, for 2023, we will be consulted in the next few months to build the tourism potential of the festival and promote it from early February 2023.

Up Your Tripadvisor Rankings

92% of travellers trust Tripadvisor as their source of bookings research. Here’s what the Algorithm looks for to give higher rankings:

• Quantity – more reviews are better than fewer reviews.
• Quality – good reviews are better than poor reviews.
• Recency – recent reviews are better than older reviews.

Idea Chasing

We will include some resources for you in every Power Update. Today, courtesy of our friends at Destination Canada, here are some great ideas on how to be more effective on Instagram and Youtube. A little more knowledge and expertise every week and you will be amazed at your bookings by the end of the year.

Canadian ideas – Instagram Ideas - Video 

Canadian training – Making the most of social media

Don’t forget the in-person Strategy Session on 26 May. We’ll let you know the time and place.