Cape Town’s latest push to attract international travellers is stepping onto some of the world’s most recognisable streets, with the City rolling out its biggest tourism and place-marketing drive yet across major global cities.
As highlighted by the City of Cape Town, the This Is Cape Town campaign has begun landing in New York, London and several European cities, following a strong initial run across African cities and Brazil.
The campaign, which was launched late last year, is designed to convert global attention into travel bookings that feed directly into the local economy.
The initiative is being deployed across six continents and 55 cities, with a multi-month rollout aimed at maintaining momentum in key international source markets.
Speaking on the campaign’s intent, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth Alderman James Vos said the strategy goes beyond simple brand awareness.
‘The focus of This Is Cape Town is to ensure that global attention translates into real travel demand, real spend in our local economy and real job opportunities for Capetonians,’ he said.
The campaign is being activated across high-traffic locations, including digital billboards, public transport advertising and Connected TV platforms, placing Cape Town’s brand directly in front of potential travellers.
One of the campaign’s most distinctive features is its use of moving digital billboards in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In New York, Cape Town branding appears on digital screens mounted on the city’s iconic yellow taxis. In London, traditional black cabs have been wrapped in This Is Cape Town visuals.
These London taxis also carry Virgin Atlantic advertising inside the vehicles, complete with a QR code that links directly to flight bookings.
Meanwhile, Connected TV advertising has gone live in Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany, expanding the campaign’s European footprint.
The global marketing push aligns closely with significant gains in international air connectivity. Vos pointed to sustained growth in routes between Cape Town and the United States.
‘When United Airlines launched direct flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Cape Town in 2019, around 3 500 passenger seats were available that year,’ he stated.
Between 2019 and 2025, United Airlines is expected to have operated 1 324 flights, delivering a cumulative 337 374 passenger seats. By 2025 alone, annual capacity increased to 85 500 seats, with projections of 91 749 seats in 2026.
Rising demand also led to the introduction of a direct Washington D.C.–Cape Town route, further strengthening links between the US and the Western Cape.
Growth has also been recorded in the UK, traditionally one of Cape Town’s strongest tourism markets.
‘Virgin Atlantic increased London–Cape Town services from three flights per week in December 2021 to seven per week during the current peak period,’ Vos highlighted.
In total, Cape Town now has 28 direct flights per week between London and the city, serviced by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Norse Atlantic Airways.
Beyond marketing reach, the City has emphasised the campaign’s economic role.
According to Vos, tourism contributed R27,5 billion to Cape Town’s economy in 2024, supporting more than 106 000 jobs.
‘Our focus is on growing those numbers through smart, high-impact and cost-effective campaigns that are backed by conversion in key source markets,’ he said.
Digital performance in São Paulo and African cities such as Lusaka and Nairobi has already shown promising results, with the campaign reaching more than 17 million people on META platforms in just one month.
The City confirmed that the This Is Cape Town campaign will expand further in the coming months, with planned activations in China, India, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
As the rollout continues, the City says the focus will remain on converting international visibility into measurable economic benefits for Cape Town and its residents.
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