How Tulbagh doubled attendance for their most important event

“We needed a completely new marketing strategy”

Last updated: 09 December 2024

5 things you’ll get (in 5 minutes or less)

– how meaningful partnerships can drive economic growth 

– how to make your small-town event a success

– the impact of storytelling, instead of selling

– about accelerating word-of-mouth 

– how we can start curbing over-tourism

Tulbagh’s Christmas in Winter is an important economic driver for Tulbagh Tourism. Image: Tulbagh Christmas in Winter

TULBAGH CHRISTMAS IN WINTER

For one weekend in winter, since 2001, the streets of a little Western Cape village light up with Christmas lights. 

The tables on the 236-year-old main street are laden with traditional Christmas fare. 

A tractor wrapped in Christmas lights and tinsel parades the historic Church Street, which is expected to fill up with people, music and children. 

“NUMBERS WERE FLATLINING”

It’s Tulbagh’s Christmas in Winter. 

An important economic driver for the town and a vital revenue stream for Tulbagh Tourism.

The event is intended to boost the town’s economic activity in the off-season and get the village on the map more. 

But the number of visitors to the festival has been flatlining.
 

“WE NEEDED A NEW MARKETING STRATEGY”

“Our biggest year was post-Covid, where everyone had cabin fever and wanted to get out. Then the numbers dropped,” says event organiser Gavin Meiring. 

“We needed a completely new marketing strategy for 2024.” 

Tulbagh Christmas in Winter event organiser Gavin Meiring. Image: Gavin Meiring

“TICKETS SKYROCKETED”

What happened next changed the game for Tulbagh’s marketing and the town itself.

Suddenly Tulbagh Christmas in Winter, which averaged 2 500 attendees, drew over 5 000 visitors in 2024. Online tickets, which had never exceeded 500, skyrocketed to 2 500. 

“All hospitality was full; restaurants had record sales; and informal traders that sell on the road said they had never been busier,” says Gavin. It was so full that there was a spillover to neighbouring Riebeek Kasteel and Ceres.

Tulbagh Christmas in Winter, which averaged 2 500 attendees, drew over 5 000 visitors in 2024. Image: Tulbagh Christmas in Winter

RESULTS OF SMART COLLABORATIONS

All these wins came because of a collaboration with two brands that, like the Tulbagh Christmas in Winter, have missions to positively impact the province and its economic growth. 

“We got to work with CapeTownMagazine.com as our marketing partner through KLM (the airline), our sponsor.” 

“WE CONNECT PEOPLE & CULTURES” 

KLM got involved through KLM country manager for Southern Africa Wilson Tauro’s chance encounter with a passenger, a German retiree who lived in Tulbagh who suggested he attend the event.

Wilson went in 2023 and saw the alignment immediately. 

“KLM flies the whole year, and we have a commitment to this country and city we serve to become a connector of people and cultures, not just a carrier of people. For South Africans flying to the Netherlands and vice versa. I knew KLM could play a part in showcasing this small little town to the world.” 

KLM country manager for Southern Africa Wilson Tauro’s. Image: Wilson Tauro

HOW THE PARTNERSHIP CAME ABOUT 

Wilson reached out to CapeTownMagazine.com founder Marcus Zandhuis who he’d connected with four years ago over a Wesgro (the tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape) commercial that Marcus was featured in for the Dutch market.

That connection led to three successful projects on CapeTownMagazine.com for KLM and Air France.

“From the campaigns we did, I knew that CapeTownMagazine.com could give the event a wider audience – it was a natural choice,” says Wilson.

EVENTS MARKETING SUCCESS 

Marcus, too, was excited to support the event (through CapeTownMagazine.com’s Events Marketing Programme*).

“The alignment was there. This was the typical story of a small town event with lots of special things in it, wanting to punch above its weight – very much like us,” says Marcus.

“GOT MORE BANG FOR OUR MONEY” 

Everyone was pleased with the results. “The festival was huge, with many more people attending the weekend event than ever before,” says Wilson.

This year there was buzz everywhere in Cape Town months before the event, says Gavin.

“Working with CapeTownMagazine.com, we got far more bang for our money, instead of buying more social media and Facebook ads. From an online perspective, we upped our game.”

Marcus explains: “We created a great concept, to unpack the event and the town. And in the activations roll-out, we ensured to include angles that connect to our communities across each of our eight channels…all of this ensures people do not forget about you.”

AN INFLUX OF DAY VISITORS

Gavin especially appreciated how the campaign also marketed Tulbagh. An added benefit of that approach is that Tulbagh got busy right throughout winter.  

“There’s been an influx of people coming in for the day post the event. People living in the northern suburbs and Durbanville, who beforehand always considered Tulbagh to be far, are coming in for a great day out,” says Gavin.

What Wilson appreciated most was the benefits to many of the self-owned businesses and young people in the area. “It does not just change one life, but the lives of families.”

POWER OF IN-CROWD & OUT-CROWD

“CapeTownMagazine.com has opened my eyes about marketing, especially when Marcus talks about the in-crowd and out-crowd and how to influence people’s behaviour and mindset.”

For Marcus, it was a Win-Win-Win = Win. “When it works for the reader, event and its sponsors, then it’s a win for us too.”

The success is a big step towards a long-term vision, says Wilson.

“Tulbagh Christmas in Winter can be like the Rio Carnival. To grow to a level where the world knows about it, and make a conscious effort to travel to it. For us as an international company, we have a role to connect people from all over the world, while uplifting more people in the region.”  

CapeTownMagazine.com founder Marcus Zandhuis. Image: Marcus Zandhuis

NEW CASE OF WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN

It also serves as a case study in marketing that can curb over-tourism because, as Wilson puts it, “South Africa is bigger than Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Cape Town and Kruger.”

And with Cape Town’s infrastructure developments everywhere, the city is booming, addsMarcus. “We can be a key partner in bringing out other parts of the province, significantly impacting the province's GDP, job creation, entrepreneurship and people,” says Marcus

He calls it a Win-Win-Win-Win-Win: for the event, the sponsor, the tourism body, hospitality, and jobs, all the way to informal traders.

Dates for Tulbagh Christmas in Winter are still to be confirmed. Read our feature to find out what Tulbagh Christmas in Winter 2024 was like.

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