World premiere: Berlin, New York and Cape Town launch global tourism co-operation

Berlin/New York/Cape Town, 26 September 2024 On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Berlin, New York and Cape Town are announcing a new intercontinental tourism cooperation: The tourism organisations of the three cities will work closely together in future to develop innovative programmes for international guests, implement joint marketing initiatives and appeal to a mobile cosmopolitan target group. The aim of the cooperation is also to support each other with the global challenges in city tourism and to further develop tourism with international expertise in a forward-looking way. A joint short film was presented at the Mercer Lab in New York to mark the launch of the cooperation.

Comments on the cooperation

‘As part of the cooperation, we want to address a young, well-educated, international target group that is looking for a cosmopolitan lifestyle characterised by internationality and culture when travelling,’ says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin. ‘Only a few cities can offer this - Berlin, New York and Cape Town are among them and are therefore working together. In a world that is becoming smaller, they are thus role models for a new kind of city tourism that is geared towards the needs of a new generation.’  

Enver Duminy, Managing Director of Cape Town Tourism, adds: ‘As a city that stands for resilience, diversity and unity, we are excited to partner with New York and Berlin to share our unique South African story with the world and inspire travellers to harness the transformative power of travel. As a destination that has overcome great challenges and strengthened itself as a result, we recognise the importance of global connections and how tourism can contribute to peace.’

Nancy Mammana, CMO and Interim CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions: ‘We are thrilled to launch our strategic tourism partnership with Cape Town Tourism and visitBerlin with the world premiere of our short film One Small World here in New York City. During the production of the film, it became clear how important our partnership is to the promotion of tourism and it has reinforced the value of our work. We have much in common, but also many unique experiences that we can share with the millions of travellers who visit our cities every year.’

‘One Small World’ short film as first joint campaign

To kick off the cooperation, the three cities presented a joint documentary short film production entitled ‘One Small World’ at the Mercer Lab in New York yesterday. The film was shot in all three cities and focuses on the topics of gastronomy, culture and social wellness. The film not only shows the diversity of the three cities, but also the similarities that connect them across continents. The film will premiere on the three cities' social media platforms on World Tourism Day 2024.

Further goals of the partnership

The partnership aims to strengthen international tourism, promote the local tourism industry and create a globally networked travel experience. An expansion of the cooperation is planned for the coming year, which will include additional marketing initiatives, the involvement of other cities and continents and the development of a central platform and social media channels that will inform travellers about all cultural events and highlights in the three cities. The focus is also on knowledge transfer and the development of new, city-friendly tourism trends. This partnership is an important step towards sustainable, future-orientated tourism and at the same time strengthens global cohesion through cultural exchange.

According to a ranking by the international Time Out magazine, New York, Cape Town and Berlin are the three best cities in the world.

The joint marketing initiative and new partnership between the three destination marketing and management organisations Cape Town Tourism, New York Tourism and visitBerlin is based on a long-standing relationship. Details of the ‘One Small World’ marketing campaign on social media Vimeo and Instagram via @LoveCapeTown, @nyctourismnews and @visitBerlin and via the hashtag #1SmallWorld.