Proposed tourist route retraces Mandela’s steps

RESIDENTS and visitors to the Western Cape could literally soon follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela if a proposal by Alan Winde, the province’s MEC for Economic Opportunities, is approved, the Western Cape Government announced yesterday.

“The Western Cape will seek to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela through the development of a heritage tourism route which traces Madiba’s journey in our province,” said Winde.

He said the proposed route was part of the province’s Project Khulisa, a strategy aimed at boosting the heritage tourism offering to tourists.

The idea for the proposal stemmed from a “Madibainspired tourism attractions” mobile app map created by South African Tourism. The proposed idea included developing signage for a Mandela route and highlighting significant sites in the province.

“The map was launched in 2014 to encourage local and international tourists to walk in the footsteps of Madiba. We hope these initiatives will offer an authentic experience to visitors, allowing them to experience a piece of the Western Cape’s rich cultural heritage,” said Winde.

Robben Island, Pollsmoor Prison, Drakenstein Correctional Services, the City Hall and Parliament were the sites identified as part of the proposed Mandela journey.

Speaking about the impact Project Khulisa could have on the Western Cape economy, he said that when the project was viewed in a high-growth scenario, it had the potential to increase the tourism sector’s economic contribution by up to R28 billion from R17bn, and could create up to 100 000 additional formal jobs.

He said 204 000 residents were formally employed in the tourism sector at present.

To achieve these goals, Winde said: “The private and public sector have to collaborate and jointly invest in a set of focused, specific projects which maximise our unique attractions.

“We will work with local and national tourism authorities to market the route. Collaboration with roleplayers is key to ensure the project’s success,” he said, adding that the proposal would be submitted to cabinet for consideration next month.