The newly established Social Media Marketing Institute (SMMI) has announced the inaugural TourismX Social Media Awards, set to take place on 26 September 2025 in Johannesburg. The awards will recognise outstanding achievements in digital engagement across South Africa’s tourism landscape.
Recognising digital storytelling in tourism
Designed to honour tourism brands and services that excel in building authentic online connections, the awards will measure engagement based on likes, shares, comments, and community interaction, rather than follower counts.
"Social media is transforming the way businesses and brands communicate with their customers, and these awards aim to highlight those leading the charge in creating authentic, impactful digital content," said Gerrit Davids, head of the SMMI.
“Through the TourismX Social Media Awards, we want to celebrate creativity, innovation, and the power of digital storytelling in the tourism sector,” he added.
Categories across the tourism ecosystem
The Social Media Champion of the Year categories include:
• Game lodges
• Local tourism associations (LTAs) – destinations
• District destinations
• Tourism heritage sites
• Tourist attractions
• National hotel chains
• Airlines (South African and other African airlines flying to SA)
• Airports
• Industry associations
• City destinations
• Provincial destinations
• Travel media publications (digital/online/print)
• Tourism promotion events (B2B and B2C)
• Government tourism agencies (national entities)
A Grand Prix Award will be presented for Social Media Brand of the Year.
Entry details and contact information
Tourism entities can enter the awards by emailing their public Facebook page profile to: az.oc.aidemmoreg@xmsiruot. Entry is free of charge.
For more information, partnership opportunities or inquiries about the accompanying masterclass, stakeholders are encouraged to contact the organisers directly.
