Economic development, environmental affairs and Tourism MEC Nonkqubela Pieters said the province was back on both local and international tourists’ maps.
Both she and charismatic Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) CEO Vuyani Dayimani last week urged people to take advantage of all aspects of tourism, including township tourism in the province. There is so much to offer people in that sphere, including the fascinating boxing and struggle history of places like Mdantsane, the country’s second biggest township after Soweto in Gauteng.
The Eastern Cape generally is without equal in the country when it comes to its beauty, diversity and interesting history. It has the longest coastline in the country and almost every part of it is uniquely lovely.
We have mountains and forests and plains rich in fauna and flora. Our white beaches and stretches of rocks and cliffs along the Indian Ocean are rich with fish, crabs, lobster, prawns, perlemoen and other sea life and offers the best in rock and surf fishing as well as surfing and other water sports.
There are enormous pods of dolphins and whales to view.
This province may not have diamonds, silver or other precious metals to mine but its natural beauty could and should be its gold mine
We have the most beautiful nature and game reserves, walking trails and game viewing in the country. Travelling on the N2 a mere 15-minutes drive from the Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha, one sees huge herds of buck, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe and even elephant.
The mystery is why — when the rest of the overcrowded world is trying to manage burgeoning tourism sustainably — we only attract a few million a year. Tourism in Spain has become so overwhelming to the locals, that they now stage anti-tourism protests in cities such as Barcelona.
But here we have a problem with accessibility, crime and poor service delivery and it keeps tourists away at huge cost to the country in general and the Eastern Cape in particular.
We need a decent rail and road network. We need to dramatically reduce violent crime such as rape, hijacking, kidnapping, and murder. Add to that a secure supply of electricity, running water and functioning sewage treatment plants and, like Spain, we would be unable to keep the tourists away.
This province may not have diamonds, silver or other precious metals to mine but its natural beauty could and should be its gold mine. And it is a resource — if properly managed — that never runs out or grows old.
What we need is people in government who don’t just imagine it, but who work actively towards such a vision. Let’s hope the various departments get together and do just that.
Daily Dispatch
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