Tour aims to market Garden Route

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GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Early this year, the Western Cape Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Wesgro) entered into a three-year partnership agreement with Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) to accelerate the region's economic growth, investment, trade and tourism.

Clear targets and deliverables were set out in this agreement. In order to increase domestic demand along the Garden Route and Klein Karoo, a familiarisation trip was organised with business and media delegations from Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The focus of the trip was mainly on family and budget-friendly packaging that are on offer in the region. The five-day trip took place across the entire Garden Route and Klein Karoo region.

The group explored the Garden Route Game Lodge, Western Cape Butterfly Sanctuary in Ruiterbos, which was officially opened in November 2021 and is the first and only butterfly sanctuary in the region, and experienced the true essence of the Karoo in Oudtshoorn, enjoying an ostrich farm safari and visiting the Cango Caves.

PHOTO GALLERY: Garden Route to be marketed after tour

A nighttime game drive at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge that featured many nocturnal animal sightings and a coffee break under the stars were other highlights of the tour.

Guests also travelled from Oudtshoorn to Plettenberg Bay to visit the SAASA sanctuaries (Jukani and Birds of Eden) and had a taste of adventure, zip-lining and climbing and hanging from ropes at Acrobranch in the Timberlake organic village between Sedgefield and Wilderness.

A boat ride in the Wilderness National Park and a visit to Redberry Farm were also on the itinerary.

GRDM tourism co-ordinator Amagene Koeberg said they are continuing to engage with the group as they publish their experiences and share them with their various audiences through different platforms.

"These platforms are being monitored and more statistics and reach will be relayed over a period of time as content gets released," she said.

The Cango Caves visit was a highlight.

GRDM Mayor Memory Booysen (squatting in front, left) and a delegation from the council welcomed the tour group with a networking lunch at the Garden Route Game Lodge near Albertinia.