Picture-perfect plan for tourism
It was third time lucky when the official launch of the summer tourism season finally got underway at the Valley of Desolation last Friday. The first giant yellow picture frame in the Eastern Cape was also unveiled.
Due to the crippling effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the launch had to be postponed twice. Several dignitaries, amongst them the CEO of the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Vuyani Dayimani, the executive mayor of the Sarah Baartman District, Khunjuzwa Kekana, and the mayor of the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality, Deon de Vos, were amongst the guests.
The highlight of the official opening was undoubtedly the unveiling of the yellow picture frame, a first for the Eastern Cape. It would be hard to find a more suited iconic venue in this region to house this new initiative which will be a major drawcard for visitors and locals alike.
In his keynote address, Dayimani said tourism is the key to South Africa and, more specifically, the Sarah Baartman district’s economy.
“With the Sarah Baartman region having the biggest provincial portion of the tourism market share due to its numerous experiences and offerings which assist in boosting the provincial economy through job creation, amongst others, ECPTA are full supporters of the region’s tourism outputs. The district boasts the highest provincial safari experiences both in terms of private and government-owned facilities.
“The district is also home to some of our best national parks like the Mount Zebra National Park, the Value of Desolation and the Addo Elephant Park to mention a few. The only world heritage site in the province is Baviaanskloof here in the Sarah Baartman District. Essentially this district is a vital tourism enabler for our province.
“One also sees this in how niche hunting markets thrive in the district from both a domestic and international capacity helping to attract a profitable economy.
“Which brings me to appreciate the venue chosen here today. This place is an iconic attraction for our province and being here today aligns to our aim of exposing hidden gems during this time.”
Dayimani said against the backdrop of the crippling impact of Covid on tourism businesses and the tourism value chain throughout this period, the provincial government has demonstrated unwavering support through recovery initiatives that include funds for businesses to save jobs, diversification of the tourism offerings to evolve and be responsive to the current normal.
“The recovery initiatives included ongoing marketing deliverables such as the collaboration with local tourism products within the Sarah Baartman District to keep the region top of mind. ECPTA facilitated the participation of tourism products from this region in virtual travel trade workshops. This was implemented to ensure that the region presents itself and its offerings to travel trade in India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Europe for future international tourism benefit. “Furthermore, we had partnerships with local tourism organisations to host influencers to the region and those resulted in positive media coverage, including a robust marketing mix of billboards, radio, television and print advertising of the region’s key tourism experiences for local travel audiences.
“Yes, Covid has changed the face of the sector but it has also taught us to break down silos, to strengthen partnerships, and to gain a new appreciation for the collective responsibility of what we are working towards - that is to leverage our tremendous natural resources to drive growth and development of the province we call home,” Dayimani said.
“I want to urge all tourism and hospitality product owners to join us on this journey. We have already shown, through the many successful public-private partnerships and collaborations forged during the lockdown, that our collective abilities far exceed our individual efforts.”
Plans for the erection of several more frames at popular tourist destinations in the Sarah Baartman district is also on the cards.
“We must showcase our iconic sites and with more yellow frames to come in our district we could lure guests to visit our towns and experience it rather than just do a stopover.”