17-08-2012: Joburg abuzz with live performances in August

17-08-2012: Joburg abuzz with live performances in August

In spite of the chilly weather, Joburg has been abuzz, anticipating and enjoying a diverse line-up of live performances from visiting artists during August

2012.

“True to form, Joburg is rising to the occasion and living up to its Winter Campaign tagline “Joburg is Hot This Winter”,” says Phelisa Mangcu, Acting CEO

of Joburg Tourism. “This past week has been phenomenal in terms of the scope of international talent visiting Joburg – from John Legend and Katherine

Jenkins – to soul artist Anthony Hamilton and classical waltz king Andre Rieu. During their visit to Joburg, Anthony Hamilton and his band took time out to

explore some of the city’s tourist attractions, including a visit to the Lion Park, hosted by Joburg Tourism, to highlight just some of the outings and

activities that the artists get to experience while visiting our illustrious destination.”

Indeed, it seems as though this burst of acclaimed talent is warming up city audiences for even more action with the Joy of Jazz (23 – 25 August), followed

by the Arts Alive festival hot on its heels, taking place in Newtown during the first ten days September.

Joburg’s amazing calendar of diverse signature and special events throughout the year provide an ideal platform for DMC’s and incentive houses to package

offerings to leisure travellers from around the globe. Joburg signature events throughout the year range from the Joburg Open Golf Tournament in January,

the Mercedes Benz Joburg Fashion Week in March, the Africa Cup Polo in July and Joy of Jazz in August - to Arts Alive, the Soweto Wine Festival and Taste of

Joburg in October, to the Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion Week and the Sansui Summer Cup in November.

JTC’S BOOKING PORTAL

Joburg’s legendary shopping, dining, entertainment and nightlife is complimented by fabulous weather as well as an astonishing array of facilities like

spectacular golf courses, gyms, spa’s and wellness centres, which all add to its appeal as a destination.
From a lifestyle and leisure perspective, Joburg Tourism continuously creates a diversity of packages and options around the City’s calendar of signature

events and activities. Aside from the live events feed and gig guide on its website [www.joburgtourism.com], a relatively new channel in the marketing

process is the Joburg Tourism booking portal (hyperlink: http://travel.joburgtourism.com). Joburg Tourism has partnered with a host of event organisers,

hotels and tour operators to promote signature Joburg seasonal events – enhancing them with special packages and offers.
“This is a convenient, cost-effective “one-stop shop”, giving travellers the means to take advantage of special offers and packages, while making all

their travel reservations for Johannesburg online – from flights, car hire and accommodation to tour and events packages,” says Mangcu. “As one of the

continent’s most accessible and major entry points, it’s incumbent upon Joburg Tourism to assist travellers in planning entire trip to South Africa – while

highlighting some of the diversity there is to experience while spending time in Joburg.”
ENSURING THE SPREAD OF VISITORS THROUGHOUT JOHANNESBURG
While we work at entrenching Joburg’s position as Africa’s leading business tourism destination, the team at Joburg Tourism Company (JTC) balances this

ensuring the spread of tourists throughout the City, along with the presentation and packaging of leisure offerings to the consumer market,” says Acting

CEO, Phelisa Mangcu.
“Although Joburg is such a youthful City, having celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, it is a treasure trove of economic, social, political and

anthropological history,” says Mangcu. “The City boasts layer upon layer of fascinating history, development and human interest stories – of course not

forgetting the leisure and lifestyle aspects of entertainment, sports, music, arts and culture. At Joburg Tourism, we work with both the public and the

private sector to publicise the development of city precincts, nodes, sites, attractions and products which are of interest to both locals and visitors.”
Three recent additions to routes and itineraries promoted by JTC include Joburg’s Nature Route (taking in sites of natural beauty and anthropological

relevance in the City), the Indian Route (comprising a history of the Indian community in Joburg, with a focus on Mahatma Ghandi, who lived in Joburg from

1903 to 1914) and the Adventure Route (including some of the high octane spills and thrills on offer in Jozi).
Urban tourism is coming into its own in Johannesburg, with the City seeing an increasing number of visitors keen to explore diverse aspects of the City –

from all the exciting developments downtown to the heritage routes and sites in Alex and Soweto. This includes the rejuvenation of entire districts or

precincts, along with the development of public street art, pedestrianised zones, heritage sites and lifestyle activities like the Neighbourgoods Market in

Braamfontein and the Sunday market at Arts on Main.

JOBURG’S GDS 2040

“In terms of Johannesburg’s Growth and Development Strategy [GDS] – the Joburg 2040 [www.joburg.org.za/gds2040] - tourism remains an economic growth

imperative on the city’s agenda. It is an important catalyst to encourage the development of the SMME sector in order to stimulate the growth and

development of a vibrant second economy. It is the Johannesburg Tourism Company’s strategy mission to attract visitors to Joburg, encourage them to stay

longer, spend more, improve seasonality patterns and the spread of visitors across the city.”

In line with these developments and as part of the institutional review process to effect closer alignment with City goals, this year Joburg Tourism Company

is being incorporated into the City’s Communication & Tourism Group. The GDS is coupled to the city’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and both are

aligned with the National Planning Commission’s New Growth Path.

“Our ongoing local and international promotional campaigns include exhibiting at business and leisure trade exhibitions where JTC shares its plans to

maintain, defend and grow its market share,” says Mangcu. “As the City of Johannesburg’s destination marketing organisation, JTC remains focused on

positioning Joburg not only as the continent’s leading business hub, but also as an exciting, vibrant year-round destination for signature events,

lifestyle, the arts, culture, fashion, sports – and of course, mega-events.”

For more information: Go to http://travel.joburgtourism.com OR Email: travel@joburgtourism.com"> travel@joburgtourism.com