In South African Tourism’s third annual Ubuntu Awards, travel businesses have again been invited to come up with an innovative way of marketing South Africa in the UK.
Six shortlisted entrants will have up to 30 minutes to present their idea before facing a grilling from a judging panel that includes Dragons’ Den multimillionaire Duncan Bannatyne. The winner will be given £25,000 to bring their idea to life.
Bannatyne, the tough-talking director of Bannatyne Enterprises, also known as “nasty dragon” from his appearances on the BBC programme, will join Travel Weekly editor Lucy Huxley on the judging panel, together with Lebohang Mokhesi, UK country manager for South African Tourism.
The Scottish entrepreneur, who has an estimated personal wealth of £310 million, revealed an interest in the tourism industry by sprucing up seaside towns for a TV series earlier this year.
Bannatyne said: “Having visited South Africa on holiday, I’m a great fan of the destination and am proud to lend my support to growing visibility for the country among travel agents and consumers.
“Post-World Cup, South Africa has a huge opportunity to capture those who watched the tournament on TV and are thinking about South Africa for their next getaway. I’m intrigued to see what ideas Travel Weekly readers will come up with.”
The closing date for entries is September 27 and the winning campaign will launch in January 2011.