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Read more onlinetourismfocusPERCEPTIONSOF THE BAYAlan Straton, founder of MyPE.co.za Port Elizabeth is aplace that people leave after school only to return to when theirchildren are of school-going age. Our citizens will go out of their wayto assist complete strangers - no wonder we are known as the friendlycity! We are experiencing growing pains and the old die-hards such asmyself want to cling to the fading myth that PE is a ten minute town.PE offers the best beaches, the best water sports, the best sailing, easyaccess to major harbours, malaria-free game reserves on our doorstep,exciting dialogue between societal groups, a rich and varied history,and a humble, yet proud, populace.Only in PE do we still hold great faith in business on a handshake, faceto face business and a can-do attitude. I can run my business fromanywhere in the world but choose to stay here in Port Elizabeth.Michelle Brown, owner ofBrown’s PR. PE has always heldwonderful memories - from my yearsgrowing up here and forging wonderfulfriendships, to attending the formerPE Technikon and then, after a stint inJo’burg, returning to the city that I grewup in and fell in love with.PE, and the communities in it, has supportedme and my business and charityinterests over the years, and all it takes is a phone call to get people involved!Visiting celebrities, corporates and sports people all commenton the city’s ‘gees’, and the sense of goodwill that abounds. I will remainin this city, despite some out-of-towners denigrating what we havehere. I firmly believe that we all need to work together to make it work!Neil Hart, Chairman of BoomtownStrategic Brand Agency,Deputy President of the NelsonMandela Bay Business Chamber.Nelson Mandela Bay is being hopelesslyundersold: we have some of the bestlifestyle environments in the country, yetwe are doing very little to capitalize onthis. Global research shows that people arefar more attracted to cities with created attractionsthan natural ones. Think Disney World, the Eiffel Tower anduShaka Marine World. What do we have to offer? Without a unified citybrand, no-one in Nelson Mandela Bay has a clear call to action, a clearreason to begin to invest in attractions and activities that we can sell onto visitors of the city. We need to get the processes and people in placeto create a unified and compelling city brand. We need incentives anda call to action to inspire development around this vision. We have totell the world about it with clarity and consistency.Too many inhibiting factors dig the city deeper into a pit: insufficientand randomly allocated funding for tourism, a political and municipalsystem that does not appear to understand the importance of thesefactors to the city’s future prosperity; lukewarm offers that attract veryfew people, and unskilled marketing managers unable to execute professionalcity marketing.We can only create change if we are led well, funded well and haveprofessionals who will commit to making a difference.Shena Wilson, PEMBBA. Boththe Public and Private Sectors need tounderstand that tourism has the potentialto uplift all sectors of society.The time of pointing fingers from bothsides must end, and we need to all worktogether to ensure Nelson Mandela Bayhas a world-class ‘Must See’ attraction,together with the will to improve existingattractions and creatively developnew ones.Tourism andmarketing industryinsiders tell us whatNelson Mandela Bayholds for them.10 September 2012 InfocomJoin the Bay’s Business Conversation