GEORGE NEWS - A local golfing operator is unhappy with the appearance of the George Tourism office and its website, saying that more should be done to improve the city's image, especially in the golfing sector that draws thousands of visitors to the area and could attract thousands more.
Francois du Plessis of Mark Wiltshire Golf told the George Herald:
"The condition of the Tourism Bureau building and garden is unacceptable. Their website's appearance is also poor compared to other tourism sites and it is unprofessional. I think this is a symptom of a bigger problem, namely how George and surrounds are marketed as a tourism destination. I want to know how important tourism is to the municipality, and what marketing strategy they have."
Tourism manager Joan Shaw says that it is not clear what the writer found undesirable about the George Tourism building. "This is a beautiful, historical building and we are fortunate to occupy a historical space. An indigenous garden is planted in the front and wooden benches are strategically placed to enhance the aesthetics."
She says the website is being revamped and various marketing strategies have been rolled out with a limited marketing budget of R800 000 for 2019/2020, with which they have to reach domestic and international tourists. About 70% of tourists to George are domestic and 30% international, and a marketing mix is used to draw new feet.
The office has, among others, exhibited at two national expos (WTM Africa and Indaba) and two international shows focused on the Indian and traditional European market.
Information resources such as tourist maps and a brochure have been upgraded. Partnerships have also been formed with selected local events such as the George Old Car Show, Vic Bay Classic and National Golf Festival.
Sport tourism important
"We recognise the importance of sport tourism and agree that golf tourism is a key focus for George.
"The tourism department frequently works with many of the golf role players in George. Various trade and media educational events coordinated between the Garden Route and Klein Karoo (GR&KK) Tourism and George Tourism include golf. Oubaai recently accompanied George Tourism on the subsidised GR&KK stand at WTM Africa in April. We supported the National Golf Festival in July.
"Furthermore our trade show presentation features golf as a key theme.
"The office also does digital marketing through bulk e-mails, social media coverage, and billboard marketing.
"Coordination by the Garden Route District Municipality ensures frequent meetings are facilitated between the tourism offices in the Garden Route and Wesgrow, Province and the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa).
"We strive to forge and maintain partnerships with our local and regional partners in both public and private sectors to ensure maximum exposure to all the different sectors of tourism," says Shaw.
Information collection
Other activities covered in the current budget include statistics collection, market research, internal shopfitting at the tourism office, membership activities, road signage, and the running of three tourism offices. Two development projects, Dine with a Local and Site Guides, have also been established.
'You can never market enough' - Mario Febbraio, Tours4SA director and Satsa vice-chairman, says he is not up to date with the tourism bureau's activities and cannot comment regarding their marketing strategies. "However, I think you can never market enough. We do our own marketing and I get involved with organisations such as Satsa and Wesgro where one gets assistance. Tourism, the second biggest sector contributing to the GDP, should be protected from all sides." An anonymous guest house owner says they are being taxed "to death" while the municipality is not prioritising its own tourism spend to maximise return. "I think they should be more selective in the trade shows they attend. Also, you cannot do overseas marketing while your website is not up to scratch. We have resorted to do our own marketing. Regarding the rates, we feel the municipality can be more accommodating towards the guest house sector for the fact that we create a lot of jobs and market the city."
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