The wind whipped at my exposed ears as I tried to focus on the diminutive dynamo that is SA Tourism CEO Cheryl Carolus. All around me fellow hacks and travel fundis shivered miserably in the bitter Johannesburg morning. Welcome to the launch of Tourism Month and the concrete cold of SA Tourism’s head office in Illovo.
Lukewarm coffee and a sudden turn in the weather did not bode well, but hey, let’s not focus on the downside. This was a big day for Carolus and her tourism ally Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, who presided over affairs. More importantly, it was a big day for South African tourism with the official launch of Tourism Month but a few hours away.
September is Tourism Month — billed as the biggest and most festive celebration of travel on the domestic calendar, the high point being World Tourism Day on September 26, which is being celebrated in Upington in the Northern Cape this year.
September will be filled with events for local tourists, with festivals, exhibitions, music, cultural and heritage celebrations.
The aim this year is to encourage South Africans to travel in their own country and make use of the wide range of local tourism products. Tourism Month is the baby of “Team SA” — the tourism department, SA Tourism and all nine provincial tourism bodies.
Team SA has also roped national carrier South African Airways (SAA) and national broadcaster SABC into an effort to promote the growing culture of “proudly South African” in the local tourism and travel industry.
SAA has come to the party by offering a range of affordable packages through its SAA Traveller arm, and the SABC has instigated a six-week nationwide “licence to discover South Africa” TV campaign. The campaign offers TV licence holders the opportunity to win holiday prizes worth almost R300 000.
Why aim at local tourism? Because, as Carolus explained, 60% of our annual tourism revenue comes from South Africans travelling in their own country.
“It is recognised worldwide that local travel is the bedrock of the tourism market,” she said.
Carolus is an amazing motivator and showed no signs of cold as she buzzed around, making sure that guests got on to the buses that would take us to the official launch ceremony at Riversong Conservancy in Hennopsrivier.
Thankfully, by the time we arrived the wind had dropped and the sun was making inroads into the chill morning air. Which was a good thing because it gave us the opportunity to enjoy this new addition to Gauteng’s list of tourist attractions.
En route to Riversong we made a stop for the opening of the new Muldersdrift Information and Business Centre.
The aim of this community-based project, launched with funding from the Gauteng Tourism Authority and local tour operator Bill Harrop, of Bill Harrop’s “Original” Baloon Safaris, is to develop a tourism hub in Muldersdrift, a key gateway to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.
The centre will provide visitors with information about the area as well as a business service centre.
Amenities include a tea garden, accommodation and facilities to book activities, tours and transfers, and a merchandise and local craft shop.
A range of community-based and operated tourism products will be promoted and offered to visitors at the centre. Ownership of the project will reside in a community trust.
Riversong Conservancy consists of 320ha of pristine bushveld with a rustic lodge at its heart, overlooking the Hennops river.
Guests can enjoy guided nature walks and hiking trails along the 4km stretch of riverine forest on the property as well as hearty meals served at the lodge that combine the cuisines of Provence, Tuscany and Africa in a curious but tasty cross-section of dishes.
Carolus was typically enthusiastic about the choice of venue. “Look at this — it’s just so beautiful, we are so blessed to live in a country where a short drive from the major business hub of a sprawling city can bring you to unspoilt wilderness,” she said.
“South Africa has so much to offer its own people, most of whom don’t realise what opportunities exist to have truly memorable experiences in their own country. We have made it our priority to take the message to all South Africans, from all walks of life: discover the beauty and magnificence of South Africa!”
There’s no arguing with that.
For more details of of events in your area during Tourism Month visit SA Tourism’s website at www.southafrica.net or call the tourism helpline on 083 123 2345