2 SEPTEMBER 2020
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www.thevillagenews.co.za
THE VILLAGE
NEWS #ALLOVEROVERBERG
The blooming, yellow canola fields along the N2 en-route to Greyton form a stark contrast with the snow-capped Riviersonderend Mountains in the background. Although spring has officially arrived, the Overberg will still experience chilly temperatures and more rain this week. PHOTO: David Wilson
Campaign to attract tourists Writer De Waal Steyn
T
he tourism industry is hard at work to ensure that Tourism Month, celebrated every year during September, lives up to its name.
According to Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, tourism is a key job creation sector in the Western Cape, responsible for thousands of jobs, and the impact of the lockdown regulations on this sector and the people it employs, has been severe. “To promote domestic tourism in the province, the Western Cape Government and Wesgro launched the ‘We are Open’ campaign. This campaign highlights the best that the Western Cape has to offer, and showcases how the province can easily match experiences on offer elsewhere in the world,” he said. Frieda Lloyd, Whale Coast Tourism Manager,
said the ‘We are Open’ campaigns for Gansbaai, Kleinmond and Stanford are underway, after the Hermanus campaign was launched some three weeks ago. “Although we are seeing fewer tourists than shortly after the lockdown regulations were relaxed, we are still in a good position to offer tourists the best possible experience. We are aware that people are looking for places where social distancing is easy, while at the same time offering activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Of those the Whale Coast has an abundance, ranging from hiking to mountain biking, whale watching, and world-class restaurants and wineries. “To assist in luring the local travel market to our shores, we have launched a ‘Discount for Locals’ campaign that makes family outings affordable for all,” said Lloyd. Slightly further afield, Tuesday saw the reopen-
ing of the iconic Table Mountain Cableway and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Last week, a number of the museums affiliated to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport received the go ahead to re-open their doors, among them, the Caledon Museum, the Huguenot Memorial in Franschhoek, and the Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp. “These are all signs that the Western Cape is open for local travel and we look forward to welcoming visitors from across South Africa to our province. Thousands of jobs have been lost in the tourism sector and your support can help to save jobs now. If you can afford to, we call on you to visit a local tourism attraction, book a tour to experience a neighbourhood you've never visited, or enjoy a weekend away in our province,” said Winde. “You can also help to promote a local business by taking a photo at your favourite attraction, restaurant, or tourism establishment and share it on social media with the hashtag #WeAreOpen.”
At the launch of the ‘We are Open’ campaign, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier announced that the province was ready to open safely. “We are ready to start doing business again, and we are ready to start rebuilding our economy. The ‘We Are Open’ campaign builds on our efforts to support the tourism industry during the Covid-19 crisis, and importantly, is also one of the first of our immediate action steps towards economic recovery in the Western Cape.” The ‘We Are Open’ campaign follows the ‘One Day’ campaign, a collaboration between Wesgro, the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town, which was launched during lockdown to support the tourism industry in the Western Cape and to also remind people that one day Cape Town and the Western Cape would again be open for them to explore and experience. Continues on P3
