TOURISM NEWS

Cabinet approval for coastal tourism plan will boost Eastern Cape

Tourism in the Nelson Mandela Bay region is set to get a boost over the next five years.

This follows Cabinet approval for the Marine and Coastal Tourism Implementation Plan (MCT), which was welcomed by the Minister of Tourism, Tokozile Xasa, as it will advance the Nine-Point Plan through Operation Phakisa’s Oceans Economy.

The Implementation Plan was led by the Department of Tourism and was developed in partnership with various tourism stakeholders with the aim of ensuring growth within the marine and coastal sector.

“The plan will uplift tourism in the ocean economy. It will grow a world-class and sustainable coastal and marine tourism destination that leverages South Africa’s competitive advantages in nature, culture and heritage,” said Communications Minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, who briefed the media recently regarding Cabinet decisions.

The CMT will be implemented in a cluster approach, which will prioritise destinations rather than individual tourism projects/products. The identified nodes in the first phase (zero to five years), will encompass the following geographic areas:

-Node 1: Durban and surrounds (KwaZulu Natal)

-Node 2: Umkhanyakude District, including Umhlabuyalingana and surrounds (KwaZulu Natal)

-Node 3: Port St Johns to Coffee Bay (Eastern Cape)

-Node 4: East London, Port Elizabeth and surrounds (Eastern Cape)

-Node 5: Cape Town and surrounds (Western Cape)

-Node 6: West Coast and surrounds (Northern Cape)

Initiatives in the various nodes cover six thematic areas, namely, marketing, events and routes; regulations and permitting; research and spatial planning; beach precinct development, tourism infrastructure and tourism safety; maritime tourism; and skills development.

According to Herald Live, Chief Executive of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT), Mandlakazi Skefile, said the plan would aid the NMBT to “leverage off the natural resources and the beauty our destination has to showcase while enabling us to harness and unlock untapped potential”.

“With Port Elizabeth being included as one of the six nodes, this will further enhance the existing coastal and marine offerings through the implementation of a comprehensive marine tourism and leisure sector strategy.”

The South African Maritime Safety Authority said marine tourism ranked among the top four sub-sectors of the country’s maritime economic sector projected for monumental growth within the next two decades.

According to the authority, it contributed R19 billion (€1.2 billion) to SA’s Gross Domestic Product in 2013, with current projections indicating yields up to R44 billion (€2.8 billion) in 2020, rising rapidly to R134 billion (€8.6 billion) in 2033, which will generate between 800 000 and one million jobs.

“The coastal and marine tourism sector will contribute about R21.4 billion (€1.3 billion) to the GDP and create about 116 000 direct jobs by 2026, thus reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment, while contributing to sustainable livelihoods and development. These estimates are conservative as they are growing off a low 2015 base of R11.9 billion (€765 million) direct contribution to GDP and 64 400 direct jobs,” said Minister Xasa.

In response, Skefile said while the NMBT was unable to establish how many jobs would be created at present, “we know the implementation plan will positively contribute to our area…”. “Already, we are one of the most researched bays due to our diverse marine biodiversity as well as Nelson Mandela University being one of only three offering a maritime curriculum.”

She added that the Bay was already home to a world-renowned

Hope Spot (ecologically unique areas), it was known as the bottlenose dolphin capital, and in addition has the largest colony of endangered African penguins.
The area boasts Blue Flag beaches, biomes and ocean safaris, just to name a few.
“Recently being host city to the African Marine Waste Conference, the Southern African Marine Science Symposium and the South African Maritime Industry conference, the city is already seeing increased business and positive results,” Skefile added.

Tourism roadshow to hit the Northern Cape

The Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) Cape in partnership with the Tourism Grading Council and Tourism Marketing South Africa will team up to host a Tourism Industry Partnership Roadshow in a bid to address key issues affecting the hospitality and tourism industries.

The roadshow will take place from August 29-31 in Kimberley, Upington and Springbok respectively

According to Fedhasa Cape Chairperson, Jeff Rosenberg, discussions will feature a range of topics, including quality assurance, which covers grading and the illegal use of stars; the private sector’s voice, which looks at government lobbying and Fedhasa Cape’s role in the process as the voice of the hospitality industry; updates on legislation and benefits; as well as tourism marketing.

“This is an opportune time for us as industry leaders to put our heads together and discuss the thorny issues that affect our industry, and to brainstorm solid solutions,” says Rosenberg.

 Maasai Mara’s good news story – elephants populations on the rise

The population of elephants in Kenya’s popular Maasai Mara National Reserve has increased by 72% in the last three years.

According to an aerial survey conducted by the Kenya Wildlife Service in May, 2,493 elephants were counted in the reserve, up from 1,448 elephants in 2014.

KWS says the increase is encouraging, considering that human-wildlife conflict has been on the rise in the last few years.

The wildlife conservation agency attributes the elephants’ population rise to deterrents such as stiffer penalties for poaching as well as more rangers and surveillance equipment.

The survey also found that human activities within and around the protected areas are gradually rising.

The 2017 survey was carried out between May 15 and May 28, and covered an area of 11,681 square kilometres to give a picture of the distribution of the elephants in relation to human activities and water resources.

It was also intended to help map human activities around the wildlife protected areas to guide the management of the Mara ecosystem. Findings indicate an increase in human activities around the Mara protected areas, posing a threat to the existence of wildlife.

In Narok County, elephants in the Mara ecosystem often face the risk of retaliatory attacks from humans. More than 100 cases of human-wildlife conflict are reported annually in the County, which manages the reserve.

A pending compensation cases report from Narok County shows 11 cases of people killed by the wildlife, 33 injury cases, 62 predations, 20 acres of crops and one property destroyed last year, all awaiting compensation.

The report attributes some of the attacks on wild animals by humans to anger arising from delayed action by concerned government agencies on compensation.

A 2014 survey showed an increase from 2,058 elephants in 1986 to 7,535 in the entire Mara-Serengeti ecosystem that straddles the Kenya-Tanzania border in East Africa.

A total of 192 carcasses were counted during the survey, of which 117 were in Kenya and 75 in Tanzania. The ratio of carcasses to elephants that were alive was 2.5%.