The campaign, launched late last year by the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, is being rolled out over several months across six continents and 55 cities worldwide, and is designed to drive international interest and bookings that support Cape Town’s tourism industry and the jobs it sustains.

‘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,’ said Alderman Vos.

The strategy is being activated across a range of high-visibility platforms and locations, including digital billboards and public transport advertising in key precincts across the target cities.

A distinctive feature of the campaign is the use of moving billboards in the US and UK. In New York, digital screens are mounted on iconic yellow taxis, while in London, traditional black cabs are wrapped in This Is Cape Town branding. These London cabs also feature Virgin Atlantic advertising inside, including a QR code linking directly to flight bookings.

Further marketing has gone live on Connected TV platforms in Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.

‘Cape Town has seen a notable increase in global air connectivity, supported by sustained and targeted place marketing campaigns, such as This Is Cape Town.

‘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. Between 2019 and 2025, United Airlines will have operated 1 324 flights, delivering a cumulative 337 374 passenger seats on the route. By 2025 alone, annual seat capacity increased to 85 500 seats, with a projected 91 749 seats in 2026,’ said Alderman Vos.

Increased demand led United Airlines to introduce a direct Washington D.C. to Cape Town flight, further strengthening connectivity between the US and Cape Town. Growth has also been recorded in the UK market.

‘Virgin Atlantic increased London–Cape Town services from three flights per week in December 2021 to seven per week during the current peak period. In total, Cape Town currently enjoys 28 direct flights per week between London and Cape Town, serviced by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Norse Atlantic Airways,’ said Alderman Vos.

The current global rollout builds on strong digital performance in São Paulo and African cities, including Lusaka and Nairobi, where the campaign reached more than 17 million people on META platforms in just one month.

‘Beyond creating awareness, tourism contributed R27,5 billion to Cape Town’s economy in 2024 and supported 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,’ said Alderman Vos.

In the coming months, This Is Cape Town is set to go live in additional markets including China, India, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.