SHO’T LEFT: REBUILDING OUR
ECONOMY BY RETHINKING
LOCAL TOURISM Although growth potential is limitless, the travel sector has taken a savage beating during the pandemic. With World Tourism Day celebrated on the 27 September, we took a look at how travel is redefining itself in Limpopo, North West, and the Free State in a bid to revive local economies. By Keith Bain
FREE STATE: UNHERALDED GEMS AND NOVEL EXPERIENCES “When I think about a South African living in Cape Town or Johannesburg, I don’t think the Free State is one of the destinations that immediately comes to mind for them,” says Johan Oosthuizen, GM of Bloemfontein’s Windmill Casino, a Sun International property that has traditionally relied on locals for around 90 per cent of its traffic. “Most people from up north are dead set on the coast, the Drakensberg, or maybe Kruger.” Oosthuizen says when his team puts together packages to lure customers to Bloemfontein they often feel stifled by a lack of big-draw attractions. It’s essentially a perception issue, though, says Kgotso Tau, head of communications in the province’s Department of Economic Development, Small Business, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. He believes the Free State has the potential to evolve from being a “drive-through province” to being a “drive-to province”. The trick, he says, is not to compete with the coastal provinces or with Mpumalanga, but to highlight Free State’s unique attributes. “What they have, we don’t have; we need to emphasise our attributes. What we offer is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, unadulterated countryside, spiritual rejuvenation, abundant nature, and unrestricted views of scenic beauty.”
Kgotso Tau
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“What we offer is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, unadulterated countryside, spiritual rejuvenation, abundant nature, and unrestricted views of scenic beauty.” – Kgotso Tau
VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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Tau believes the time is right to turn existing perceptions on their head, to sell Free State’s desirability by tapping into a burgeoning domestic market. He says the province is ideal for a Sho’t Left. Aside from cool quick-getaway towns like Parys, right on Gauteng’s doorstep, and Clarens, there’s Gariep Dam and Golden Gate National Park, and such unheralded gems as Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge near Phuthaditjhaba. And, near the Free State-Lesotho border, there’s Dinkoeng Tented Camp, with hiking, 4x4ing, quad biking, village tours by donkey cart, mountain exploration horseback, and traditional African food. “It’s great for adventurous travellers,” says Tau, “and the entire tourism offering is set up to benefit the local community, creating a beautiful economic ecosystem in the interests of inclusive growth tourism.” In the southern Free State town of Bethulie, which has always relied primarily on domestic tourism, author and hotelier Anthony Hocking, owner of the eccentric Royal Bethulie Hotel and chairperson of the local tourism association, says the curtailment of foreign travel has meant more South Africans are travelling in their own country. “A phenomenon we’ve seen is lots of locals getting off the beaten track to discover the joys of the platteland. He cites social media sites where people have been punting their “discoveries” – “they post photographs from every corner of the country, making you want to explore, and we’ve benefitted enormously from that”. Those benefits, Hocking says, have significant trickle-down impact on the entire community. “We benefit the local economy in terms of the jobs we provide and all the service providers we call on – electrician, plumbers, all the people who assist us. Plus we support all the local shops. And our guests spend money on other things in the locality apart from their accommodation. And that’s the case with the other guesthouses, too.” Hocking says his hotel aims to provide more than a bed and shower. “We offer an experience, so our guests leave with memories. That’s what people remember – the ‘special something’ they can’t get elsewhere.”
ISSUE 36
2021/09/30 12:01 PM
