July 14, 2004
By Ndaba Dlamini
SOUTH AFRICA TOURISM'S Sho't Left campaign, which aims to promote a culture of local holiday travel among South Africans, was launched amid much fanfare at the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown on Thursday 8 July.
The ceremony - witnessed by South Africa Tourism's chief executive, Cheryl Carolus - was a sequel to the launch of the same campaign in Langa, in Cape Town, on 14 June.
"The Sho't Left campaign is part of South Africa Tourism's domestic marketing campaign, which aims to grow domestic tourism," Carolus said.
"The campaign is about getting South Africans to travel around the country; average black and white young South Africans and their families who have a desire to travel but do not know where to travel."
"Sho't Left," explained Carolus, "is derived from the everyday taxi language used by commuters when they want to get off around the corner."
The huge screen at the square beamed the Sho't Left video to a host of people who had gathered to witness the briefing and the presentation of the campaign to minibus taxi drivers in Gauteng.
"The taxi drivers are our new ambassadors to deliver the message to their customers - to tell them to take a 'Sho't Left' and go on holiday," said Carolus.
The taxi drivers, in their Sho't Left caps and t-shirts, lined up their taxis, which have just been branded with the Sho't Left logo.
A 13-week TV programme, which shows South Africans a variety of places to visit in the nine provinces, is already being broadcast. SABC2 is showing 'Sho't Left' on Monday to Friday at 10:27pm.
The programme aims to show viewers they can have a good holiday in their own country.
South Africa Tourism is also promoting the Fun Bus.
"Some people do not have cars to travel around the country. We are providing affordable travel: a luxury holiday bus is travelling from Joburg to Durban for a weekend, with transport, meals and accommodation included for R825," she said.
The first bus departs on Friday 30 July.
Research conducted by South Africa Tourism has indicated that the domestic market contributes more than R47-billion to the economy.
"However, there remains enormous untapped potential to grow this market and encourage more spend on holiday travel", Carolus said.
For more information go to www.southafrica.net.
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