The 12 member Board, comprising experts with hands-on-experience in tourism and marketing, will be in office until June 30, 2004. It's primary tasks include identifying and employing a CEO and other office bearers and setting an agenda to boost tourism to the region by combining the drawcard of Cape Town with the wealth of provincial tourist attractions.
Mr Monwabisi Kalawe, General Manager, ACSA has been elected to chair the Cape Town Routes Unlimited Board while Mr Derek van der Merwe, MD of the V&A Waterfront, will act as vice-Chairperson.
The Minister of Tourism and Gambling in the Western Cape, Ms Joyce Witbooi commented that the partnership between the City and the Province would benefit and re-enforce the Western Cape's position as one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the world.
The City and the Province have taken care to ensure that the operational future of tourism marketing in the province is a balanced partnership between the public and private sector with a Board comprising of established and emerging industry leaders.
Alderman Clifford Sitonga, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic and Social Development, Tourism and Property Management congratulated Mr Kalawe and the Board members on their election. He emphasised that they bring together a combination of skills, expertise and constituencies which would ensure that the vibrant tourism sector would receive the support of the residents of the province and provide an attractive offer to the tourism industry.
Mr Kalawe said that he was delighted to accept the position as chairperson and would build on the experience he had gained as member of the Western Cape Tourism Board and the Cape Town Tourism board.
The appointment of the Board follows an industry-wide call for nominations for the 12 seats with emphasis placed on appointing leaders who reflected a demographic and geographic representivity. This will ensure that the Board's composition reflects a good representation of tourism stakeholders who demonstrate a clear and practical knowledge of marketing and business acumen, and tourism industry expertise. They also had to have shown commitment to the tourism industry and its key challenges such as seasonality and transformation.
Five Advisory Committees will support the Board, each dealing with one of the five key tourism sectors that have been identified, including Leisure tourism, Conventions and incentives, Events, Visitor services and Product development.
Members of the Board will take the lead on the Advisory Committees to ensure a smooth flow of ideas, expertise and information among the board and committees. It reflects the City and the Province's commitment to promote transformation while stimulating growth in the industry.
"We've gone to great lengths to represent all constituencies and create a balanced board. We are hopeful that the cross-sectoral representation and nominations to the Advisory Committee will do justice to the interests of all groups," said Minister Witbooi.
The Cape Town Routes Unlimited which brings together all the existing agencies of Leisure tourism, Events, Conventions and incentives, Visitor services and Product development under one umbrella, is ideally suited for the cross sectoral co-operation that is required to ensure that our tourism industry grows in the face of international competition.
Alderman Sitonga said, "The strategic challenge of bringing a new organisation into existence, while continuing with the 2003/2004 workplan is significant and the board will be faced at the outset with choices between operational and strategic challenges. We, as the public and private sectors, must be mindful of the volume of work this will entail and give them support and encouragement to help them settle into the substantial tasks at hand."
The two primary goals will be to grow the Western Cape economy through tourism and to spread the benefits of tourism throughout the province. Regional attractions would be aggressively marketed to tourists initially only drawn to Cape Town and those drawn to the region, would be encouraged to visit the city as part of a cohesive marketing strategy.
Issued by HWB Communications cc
Contact: Evelyn Holtzhausen or Lynn Erasmus
Tel: 021 462 0416 or 082 512 0558
Fax: 021 462 0427
Email lynn@hwb.co.za
On behalf of: Joyce Witbooi, Western Cape Minister of Tourism and Gambling and; Alderman Clifford Sitonga, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic and Social Development, Tourism and Property Management
For more information please contact:
Anton Groenewald
Tel: 021 918 7382
Cell: 083 632 5156
anton.groenewald@capetown.gov.za
Cell: 082 771 8834
herossou@pgwc.gov.za
