Tourism on the West Coast can only grow if responsible tourism is combined with the region’s “unexpected colours” and the fact that it is situated only an hour or an hour and a half’ drive from Cape Town, Africa’s leading destination.
Wilna Botha of Africa!Ignite, emphasised this and said that overseas tourists are looking for an experience on their holiday. “Tourists visit the attraction first, but come back because of the people.”
This is one of the examples given to delegates at the second Annual Responsible Tourism Conference held at the Riviera Hotel in Velddrif on Tuesday 18 October and organised by West Coast Tourism and the West Coast District Municipality.
Glynn O’Leary of Transfrontier Parks Destinations gave examples of their success stories in Limpopo. They take abandoned derelict government built “community” lodges and totally revamp them. The project is then run with surrounding communities, who when they originally received these “projects”, did not have the experience or the funds to successfully run them.
Responsible tourism aims to minimise negative social, economic and environmental impacts, generate benefits for local people and enhance the well-being of these communities.
Katrin Ludik of Ocean View House in Camps Bay gave examples of how they not only became a responsible tourism destination, but in the process saved money. Simple things like collecting and returning egg cartons, putting in LED lights and eco smart shower heads and installing solar heat pumps. It takes time and research, she said.
Wilfred Williams of Cape Nature said Rocherpanne is in the process of being made universally accessible and already boasts waterless toilets and an eco pool. CapeNature intends to improve their mountain bike trails and facilities as well as replacing all appliances with energy efficient ones, over the next three years.
“It starts with you,” Henko Wentholt of Abang Africa, told guests. The way the staff is treated will influence a tourism destination’s success.
Liebre Eigelaar spoke about the runaway success of Fruit Lips, Piketberg, mainly due to their responsible tourism credo. They recycle the fruit peels and pips that are left after 10 000 jars of jams are made monthly, and end up with liquid compost.
Susan Kruger of the Ibsco brewery near Porterville demonstrated how permaculture, a self-sustaining design method, can benefit any tourism destination.
Alderman Harold Cleophas, West Coast District Mayor, expressed his satisfaction that the second conference had been well attended.
