Eastern Cape Business 2022-23
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Tourism and film<br />
The Covid-19 fourth wave badly dented hospitality’s recovery.<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
SECTOR INSIGHT<br />
A major golf tournament<br />
attracted a host of sponsors.<br />
The final shot. Dean Burmester won the South African PGA<br />
Championship at St Francis Links. Credit: Sandy Coffey<br />
The exciting win by Dean Burmester in the South African<br />
PGA Championship at St Francis Links should have been<br />
a shot in the arm for <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> tourism leading into<br />
the high summer of 2020.<br />
Instead, it was shots in the arms for Covid patients as the fourth<br />
wave descended on South Africa within days of the highly successful<br />
event, condemning many tourist establishments to more months of<br />
little or no income. Domestic tourism continued but the UK’s decision<br />
to put South Africa on a “no-fly” list had drastic consequences.<br />
Small crowds were allowed to watch the golf tournament, which<br />
was presented by the PGA of South Africa in association with St Francis<br />
Links and the <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA). Other<br />
sponsors and supporters included Dirk Ellis Motors, <strong>Cape</strong> St Francis<br />
Resorts, the Sunshine Tour, Allesverloren Wines and SPAR. This indicated<br />
how important golf tourism might be in the provincial mix.<br />
Infrastructure upgrades are ongoing at several tourism sites run<br />
by the ECPTA: the National Department of Tourism is funding the<br />
Interpretation Centre at Bavianskloof (a World Heritage Site) in the<br />
amount of R42-million; a further R9-million will be spent on a hiking<br />
trail; the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment<br />
(DFFE) will spend R45-million on the chalets at <strong>Cape</strong> Morgan. Work<br />
has been completed on the Silaka Nature reserve in Port St Johns at<br />
a cost of R11-million, another DFFE project. The ECPTA is tracking and<br />
profiling tourists’ needs and their perception about the province. The<br />
ONLINE RESOURCES<br />
<strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Cape</strong> Parks and Tourism Agency: www.visiteasterncape.co.za<br />
Mandela Bay Development Agency: www.mbda.co.za<br />
film industry has great potential<br />
for growth. The ECDC invested to<br />
support the filming on the Wild<br />
Coast of the popular TV series<br />
Survivor: Immunity Island, which<br />
brought excellent returns in terms<br />
of finance and exposure.<br />
The interior of the <strong>Eastern</strong><br />
<strong>Cape</strong> is home to several highend<br />
private game reserves such<br />
as Shamwari, Mount Camdeboo<br />
and Kariega Game Reserve. Some<br />
luxury game lodges are located<br />
within national parks, such as<br />
the Gorah Elephant Camp, which<br />
is run by Hunter Hotels and<br />
forms part of the Addo Elephant<br />
National Park.<br />
Premier Hotels has two<br />
hotels in East London, the<br />
Mpanga Private Game Reserve<br />
and it manages the East London<br />
International Convention<br />
Centre. The Radisson Blu in Port<br />
Elizabeth offers five-star luxury<br />
overlooking Pollock Beach.<br />
Tsogo Sun has five <strong>Eastern</strong><br />
<strong>Cape</strong> properties. The Courtyard<br />
Hotel, City Lodge Hotel and<br />
Road Lodge are close to one<br />
another on Port Elizabeth’s<br />
beachfront and allow the group<br />
to cater to three distinct markets<br />
with a total of 442 rooms. East<br />
London has a Road Lodge. Sun<br />
International runs the Wild Coast<br />
Sun and the five-star Boardwalk<br />
Casino and Entertainment World<br />
in Port Elizabeth. ■<br />
33<br />
EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS <strong>2022</strong>/<strong>23</strong>
Change language