Cape Town social tourism campaign hits 13 million impressions on Twitter

This is very cool. The city of Cape Town is currently hosting four international travel bloggers and their itineraries are being guided by Twitter.

The initiative, which is the brainchild of Cape Town tourism, invited people to participate in the campaign by sharing tips for the bloggers’ itineraries using the hashtag #LoveCapeTown on Twitter.

The campaign, which kicked off with a “tweet-up” on Sunday 29 July, has seen suggestions flooding in to a series of questions posted by the bloggers. Over a 24 hour period, Cape Town Tourism claims, the #LoveCapeTown hashtag generated 1 500 tweets, 13 521 392 impressions and reached an audience of 623 041 followers.

The participating bloggers include Keith Jenkins (@velvetescape and velvetescape.com), Melvin Boecher (@traveldudes and traveldudes.org), Nellie Huang (@wildjunket and wildjunket.com) and Matt (Long @landlopers or Landlopers.com)

I’m joining #ttot from the @escapetothecape van & we are on our way to Cape Point. Yay! #lovecapetown

— Melvin (@traveldudes) July 31, 2012

Absolutely loved the colours, scents & flavours of @charlysbakery in @fringedistrict #lovecapetowninstagr.am/p/Nvb6K-PJ3J/

— Keith Jenkins (@velvetescape) July 31, 2012

Psyched that we’re on the way to the Cape of Good Hope! I hear we’ll see penguins too 🙂 #LoveCapeTown

— Matt (@LandLopers) July 31, 2012

Learning abt how #CapeTown is using art to get pple together. @fringedistrict #lovecapetowninstagr.am/p/NvQC-OrFSs/

— Nellie Huang (@WildJunket) July 31, 2012

Some of highlighted questions and answers from the tweetup include:

Q1. Which typical #CapeTown dish should our bloggers not miss while they are here? #LoveCapeTown
A1. Any Cape Malay cooking from the Bo-Kaap, gatsby’s, braai, pickled fish, Snoek pate, fish and chips, Ostrich fillet, biltong, smiley’s and chicken feet, plus Malva Pudding, craft beers and wine.

Q2. Cape Town’s winter offers the best of all seasons. Which outdoor places and spaces make you #LoveCapeTown in winter in particular?
A2. Views from the Noon Gun, Green Point Urban Park, Deer Park, Mzoli’s, the Company’s Garden, Sea Point promenade, the flower market on Adderley Street, Kirstenbosch Gardens and suburbs from Newlands to Kalk Bay and Gordon’s Bay.

Q3. What are the best adventure activities to be done in #CapeTown? #LoveCapeTown
A3. A winter adventure mecca… go hiking, mountain biking, abseiling, paragliding, sand boarding, surfing and shark cage diving.

Q4. How can the bloggers learn the most about our history as a city and nation during their short stay? #LoveCapeTown
A4. Hang out with locals and ask lots of questions, do a township cycle tour, visit any of many Iziko Museums, tour the kramats, do a Camissa tour – of the historic underground waters systems, walk the city on a Sex and the Slaves or Footsteps to Freedom tour.

Q5. What are your favourite people watching spots in #CapeTown? #LoveCapeTown
A5. Coffee shops such as Haas, Giovanni’s, Clarke’s and Vida E Café, the Old Biscuit Mill and other markets, Long Street venues and pubs, Sea Point Promenade with an ice-cream, St. Georges Mall and the V&A Waterfront.

Q6. Nobody knows #CapeTown like the locals. What is your favourite hidden gem in the Mother City? #LoveCapeTown
A6. Vergelegen in Somerset West, Whiskey tasting at Bascule Bar, Chocolate making at Lindt in the Cape Quarter, picnics along Chapman’s Peak, Bakoven beach, Gatesville and a Chisa Nyama in Gugulethu for people and food.

The venture forms part of Cape Town Tourism’s campaign to promote the destination across a number of focused, influential digital platforms. Termed iAmbassador, the campaign is a collaboration between Cape Town Tourism and a core group of influential travel bloggers who specialise in a variety of travel niches. The bloggers will use the twitter hashtag #LoveCapeTown for the duration of their stay in Cape Town and will share content across various social media platforms.

Cape Town is a global tourism hotspot and home to Table Mountain, voted one of the seven natural wonders of the world in 2011.

Image: Joseph A Ferris III