Wedding tourism big business
Demand has enabled development of Winelands properties
WEDDING tourism has become big business for properties located across the Winelands, according to estate agents. From a consumer perspective, the desire for stunning vineyard and country landscapes for weddings and other celebrations has enabled the development of guest farms and lodges with facilities such as chapels, wedding venues and guest accommodation.
In the Tulbagh Valley, we are seeing a high demand for scenic wedding settings, says Nelia Retief from Seeff. We currently have 12 wedding venues which are all fully booked for the wedding season.
It is also not just locals who flock to the area for their wedding celebrations, but the favourable exchange rate makes it very attractive to a rising foreign market who would book out the entire venue including overnight accommodation and often even nearby properties as well to accommodate guests, she says.
Tourism is one of the targeted growth sectors identified by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The most recent data from StatsSA shows that as much as 138 627 civil marriages are concluded annually.
Tourismtatler.com estimates the value of the global wedding industry at around $298 billion (over R4 trillion) and it is rising. In South Africa, weddings can cost anything up to R80 000 to R150 000 (and more) and about half of that is the venue, food and décor costs, according to a Businesstech.co.za report.
Retief says the Cape Winelands and Boland are sought for their mountain and vineyard scapes and the stunning Cape vernacular building styles all of which make for a “fairy tale” setting and stunning photographic backdrops.
Tulbagh is one of the towns which has seen a notable uptick in wedding tourism over the last few years given its very scenic offering, she says.
Investing in a wedding tourism product in the valley could cost upwards of around R17.8m to R26.95m for the 153ha Welbedacht Game and Nature Reserve which lies on the slopes of the Winterhoek Mountains.
The property enjoys a declared nature reserve status, with a high prevalence of endangered wild flowers, bio-diverse vegetation ranging from seasonal wetlands to Renosterveld and fynbos. It is located about 9km north of Tulbagh and offers a scenic setting with mountain views on three sides, the Tulbagh Valley below and top class facilities. These include 13 guest rooms and cottages, with facilities for weddings as well as corporate activities and small conferences.
It is fully game fenced and the game include Zebra, Black Wildebeest, Springbok as well as Cape mountain leopard, duiker, grey buck, mongoose, genet, baboon, caracal, polecat, wild cat, porcupine, tortoise and more. There is even a herd of retired horses to keep the wild grasses in check.
There is a thatched main homestead with thick plastered brick walls, four bedrooms and further facilities include an office, guest rooms, laundry and utility rooms, a storage shed and three stables.
The property has plenty of water with water rights, two streams, springs, a borehole and several storage dams as well as Eskom electricity. There is also a 9ha pear orchard under irrigation. The reserve is optimum for game breeding.
The farm is not affected by land claims or the drought and the unique zoning allows for additional development opportunities including a boutique hotel and/ or increasing the number of chalets, says Retief. It is being sold as a going concern with all furniture and fittings and is an excellent investment.
Contact Seeff Tulbagh, Nelia Retief on 023 230 1414/082 899 2248 or visit www. seeff.com (web ref. 443044).