Cape Town Expands International Reach With Major Tourism Campaign Across New York London And Europe

Source: Supplied | New York cab

The campaign is using digital billboards, public transport advertising, and Connected TV platforms.

In New York, digital screens are mounted on taxis, while London black cabs carry campaign branding and QR codes linking to flight bookings. Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany have also been targeted with Connected TV campaigns.

Growth in air connectivity

Cape Town’s global connectivity has expanded in recent years:

• United Airlines began direct flights from Newark to Cape Town in 2019 with 3,500 passenger seats available that year.• Between 2019 and 2025, United Airlines operated 1,324 flights, delivering 337,374 passenger seats cumulatively.• In 2025 alone, annual seat capacity was 85,500, with projections of 91,749 in 2026.• The US route expanded with a new Washington DC flight.• London–Cape Town services increased from three flights per week in December 2021 to seven during the current peak.• Cape Town now has 28 direct flights per week from London, served by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Norse Atlantic Airways.

Source: Supplied | London cab

Earlier campaign phases in São Paulo and African cities, including Lusaka and Nairobi, reached over 17 million people on Meta platforms in one month.

Tourism contributed R27.5 bn to Cape Town’s economy in 2024 and supported more than 106 000 jobs, according to Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.

The campaign will continue rolling out in additional markets, including China, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, over the coming months.