The City of Cape Town has launched what it calls its "most ambitious" global tourism marketing effort yet — 'This is Cape Town' — a destination campaign designed to position the Mother City on digital platforms and Out-of-Home media across 6 continents and 55 cities.
This initiative aims not only to reach internationally, but to convert that visibility into economic activity, job creation and long-term investment.
Officially unveiled in December 2025, 'This is Cape Town' combines high-impact visuals with multi-platform storytelling.
The campaign spans digital billboards in major global hubs, branded taxis in London, social media marketing and multilingual brochures placed in airline seat pockets, all working together to showcase the Cape Townian's lifestyle and culture, and Cape Town's natural appeal.
Structured around six pillars (namely Visit, Live, Work, Play, Study and Invest), the campaign reflects a shift in destination marketing strategy. Cape Town is not selling a short-term holiday — no, instead it's positioning itself as a place to build a life and career.
This approach aligns with global tourism trends, where emotional connection and lived experience increasingly drive travel decisions.
The campaign's timing is also significant. According to South African Tourism, the tourism sector is a key economic driver, contributing billions to GDP and supporting nearly 1.5-million jobs nationally, with growth expected in the coming years.
In this way, destination campaigns form part of a broader economic strategy aimed at stimulating growth and strengthening a destination's position relative to competing markets.
'This is Cape Town' demonstrates the value of integrated, measurable communication in public relations. QR codes embedded in billboards and print materials direct audiences to a central digital hub. This ability to track engagement and understand how global audiences interact with content is increasingly vital for destination marketers.
As global competition for tourist attention intensifies, Cape Town's bold campaign offers a compelling example of how strategic storytelling, backed by data, can elevate destination PR beyond just general reach.
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*Image courtesy of Canva and Facebook
**Information sourced from Time Out, South African Tourism, Tourism Update and Smilefm