South African travellers are increasingly looking for meaningful local experiences, and partnerships between tourism organisations and travel platforms are helping make those experiences more accessible than ever.

In this week’s Member Spotlight, we chat to Travelstart Head of Commercial Linda Scott-Hayward (Balme) about the company’s latest collaboration with Cape Town Tourism, the role of technology and data in modern travel campaigns, and why domestic tourism remains critical for economic growth.

Q: Travelstart has partnered with Cape Town Tourism on its new domestic tourism campaign. What's the thinking behind the initiative?

At its core, this partnership is about making travel more accessible and converting inspiration into actual bookings. Cape Town Tourism's new "You Don't Need a Holiday. You Need My Cape Town" campaign is showcasing the city through authentic local stories, and Travelstart's role is to make it easy for travellers to act on that inspiration through exclusive flight deals, flash sales and seamless booking experiences.

We're seeing strong demand from South Africans looking for meaningful experiences closer to home, and this campaign gives them both the motivation and the means to travel.

Q: The campaign places a big emphasis on creator-led storytelling. Why is that important?

Travellers today want authenticity. They want to discover destinations through real experiences rather than traditional advertising.

What makes this campaign exciting is that creators and personalities from around South Africa are exploring Cape Town alongside locals who know the city best. They're uncovering neighbourhood gems, food experiences, outdoor adventures and cultural spaces that people may never have considered before.

By combining trusted voices with travel offers, we're able to create a much stronger connection between inspiration and booking.

Q: Travelstart is known for using technology to simplify travel. How does technology support a campaign like this?

Technology sits at the centre of everything we do.

Through Travelstart's platform we can connect travellers with the right deals at the right time, personalise offers, optimise campaign performance and remove friction from the booking process.

For this campaign we've created a dedicated Cape Town Tourism feature on our website, where travellers can discover inspiration and access special fares in one place. The goal is to create a seamless journey from discovery to conversion.

Q: One of the key objectives is driving travel during the quieter tourism months. Why is that so important?

Domestic tourism is incredibly important for the sustainability of the tourism ecosystem.

When demand is spread throughout the year, it helps support airlines, accommodation providers, restaurants, attractions and thousands of jobs across the tourism value chain.

By creating attractive travel offers during lower-demand periods, we're helping travellers access affordable experiences while supporting broader economic activity.

Q: What role does data play in building these campaigns?

Data allows us to understand traveller behaviour, booking intent and demand patterns.

We can identify where interest exists, what barriers travellers face and what types of offers are most likely to convert. This enables us to build campaigns that are highly targeted and measurable.

For tourism partners, that means real business outcomes. For travellers, it means more relevant offers and a better experience.

Q: The campaign includes subsidised fares and exclusive flight deals. How significant is affordability in encouraging domestic travel?

Affordability remains one of the biggest factors influencing travel decisions.

Through our partnership with Cape Town Tourism, we've been able to create compelling travel offers that lower the barrier to entry and encourage more South Africans to explore one of the world's most celebrated destinations.

We want travellers to realise that a trip to Cape Town is often more attainable than they think.

Q: Public-private partnerships seem to be playing an increasingly important role in tourism growth. What makes this collaboration successful?

The best tourism campaigns happen when destination marketers, travel suppliers like airlines, hotel chains, car rental companies and companies like Travelstart, work together toward a shared objective.

Cape Town Tourism brings incredible destination storytelling and market insight. Travelstart brings technology, reach and conversion expertise. Together we're able to drive awareness, bookings and economic impact.

That's the kind of collaboration that delivers measurable results.

Q: What would success look like for Travelstart when the campaign concludes at the end of July?

Success will certainly be reflected in bookings and visitor numbers, but it's bigger than that.

We want to see more South Africans travelling, more local businesses benefiting from tourism spend and more people discovering a different side of Cape Town.

If we can help turn curiosity into action, create memorable experiences and support economic growth at the same time, then we've achieved exactly what we set out to do.

Q: Finally, why should South Africans take advantage of the campaign now?

Because there has never been a better time to experience Cape Town.

The city offers incredible value, world-class experiences and endless opportunities for discovery. Combined with the exclusive Travelstart deals available through the campaign, it's the perfect opportunity to book that trip you've been thinking about. You don't need a holiday. You need My Cape Town!

The sale is currently live until Friday, 5 June at Travelstart.co.za.

As domestic travel continues to evolve, collaborations like this highlight how storytelling, technology and strategic partnerships can work together to strengthen tourism ecosystems while making travel more accessible for South Africans.