MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Key drivers to boost adventure tourism on the Garden Route were identified at a workshop held in Mossel Bay on Tuesday, 3 September.
The workshop was co-ordinated by marketing and tourism professional, Alewijn Dippenaar.
His company is Thousand Sensations, which organises events such as the annual Thousand Sensations Wine Festival, which this year took place at Fancourt Golf Estate near George on 9 and 10 August. Dippenaar also plays a key role in the annual Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge.
Series
The workshop, held at the Diaz Hotel this week, was one of a series being held in towns on the Garden Route and in Oudtshoorn.
Dippenaar said five key points came out of the workshop in Mossel Bay:
- Go ahead with establishing the Adventures Garden Route destination marketing company.
- Continue with the establishment of adventure / experience centres.
- Identify international platforms or trade shows to market adventure products of the Garden Route.
- Establish an electronic catalogue for all adventure products in the region.
- Look at international standards of operation (ISO) and support those "adventure product holders" not yet up to those standards.
Attendees
Thirty attended the workshop. The following were represented: Mossel Bay Tourism, the economic department of the Mossel Bay Municipality, Mossel Bay Town Council - deputy mayor Dirk Kotzé and Councillor Venolea Fortuin attended, the Eden District Municipality tourism organisation, three game reserves, a wave-riding adventure company, shark cage diving, deep sea fishing, a hiking trail company, accommodation establishments, restaurants, wine sellers and other tourism-centred companies.
Dippenaar noted that the wine estate representatives were there because they have mountain bike and hiking trails on their properties.
"What was important, in terms of the adventure product holders, was that we had the bulk of them at the workshop," Dippenaar said.
Trade show findings
He started the workshop in Mossel Bay with a presentation on his findings from the last four international tourism trade shows he had attended and he enlightened attendees on current international requests in terms of adventure centres.
The workshop then took the form of an open discussion.
"The next workshops will take place towards the end of September in Knysna and the beginning of October in George and Oudtshoorn. The dates will be made known at a later stage."
The second Adventures Garden Route Indaba and Expo will be at the Wilderness Hotel on 25 October. The indaba is from 09:00 to 13:00 and the expo from 14:00 to 18:00.
Dippenaar said: "Last year 57 different products were represented at the indaba."
He is an economist by profession but has chosen primarily to promote adventure tourism because he finds this arena "more fun than economics".
Contact him (082 457 5675) for more information.
Alewijn Dippenaar.
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