The need

South Africa Tourism wanted to present a contemporary insight into this fascinating but sometimes ignored destination. They wanted to promote independent travel for the 25-40 year-old market, and to drive awareness to South Africa in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup. As the authority on credible travel information, Lonely Planet provided direct access to a market looking for a contemporary perspective, particularly the 'different' aspects of those places.

Our advice

Knowing Lonely Planet is the world's leading independent travel publisher and that travellers look to Lonely Planet as being the authority in travel, South Africa Tourism asked Lonely Planet to create a campaign that would encourage people to visit South Africa.

A custom-made guide could target this precisely, and promote the destination to a new audience who may not consider South Africa as a safe destination to travel. A microsite could sit alongside the Lonely Planet website – which receives over five million unique visitors per month from over 1700 countries – to further promote the destination.

The solution

Lonely Planet created the Insider's Guide to South Africa, a specially authored guide, to inspire people with trusted Lonely Planet information about the best things to see and do in South Africa. Broken down into four themes, the book covers Safari Adventures, Urban Life, Adventure Challenge and Insider Tips. The slick guide was distributed through consumer events, trade shows, travel agents, and more recently in Australia and New Zealand through Borders.

Building upon the custom print guidebook of the same name, the Insider's Guide to South Africa website encourages travellers to explore South Africa by providing a compelling and inspirational user experience. It aims to show the diversity of the country, beyond the typical tourist activities. The website consists of specially written Lonely Planet content, an inspiring image gallery, an interactive Google map featuring video and destination content, podcasts, PDFs and a competition run through Borders.

Results

The custom print book, in-store competition and online aspects of the promotion allowed South Africa Tourism to reach a whole new audience both tangibly and interactively. The result: a highly successful integrated campaign.