The close proximity of the Cacadu District with Nelson Mandela Bay which brings about a logical dependency and interrelation of the two areas is the key reason behind Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) being one of the key members of the newly-formed Cacadu Tourism Advisory Council. The council, chaired by the Executive Mayor of the Cacadu District Municipality (CDM) Mlungisi Mvoko, will be primarily looking at sustainable tourism development that may benefit local communities.
Representatives from the Eastern Cape chapter of South African Tourism Service Association (SATSA), Indalo Group of Private Game Reserves (a group of 13 private game reserves in the Cacadu district), and NMBT attended the inaugural meeting of the council held recently. It is envisaged that expert advice from the tourism council will inform tourism development and marketing of the Cacadu District and also provide insight into the latest tourism trends.
NMBT CEO, Fezekile Tshiwula, made reference to a recent NMBT and CDM trip to China, which amongst other things assessed prospects for attracting Chinese tourists to the area. He also said: “We should be aggressively marketing the area, showcasing the unique qualities such as wildlife, the malaria-free and Big-7 area.”
Hugh Bartis from the Eastern Cape chapter of the South African Tourism Services Association (SATSA) was in agreement with Tshiwula and said there should be synergies between the CDM and NMBT marketing plans.
The Cacadu District has a mix of coastal areas which have the same seasonality pattern as Nelson Mandela Bay. These areas are full to capacity in the summer (mainly December) and over Easter, and relatively low occupancies outside those seasons. Kyle Business Projects is developing a Tourism Master Plan for the Cacadu District and reviewing the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism Master Plan, which involves a study aimed at determining tourism trends in the Cacadu District. Kyle Business Projects tourism specialist Peter Myles, says: “Both Nelson Mandela Bay and the Cacadu district have to target attracting visitors outside of the peak seasons, and encouraging visitors to explore the interior areas of Cacadu, which have fairly low occupancy.”
The researchers also add that the Cacadu tourism study will be valuable for the tourism council as it can be used to benchmark and identify tourism trends, as well as develop spatial plans for increased distribution of tourist throughout the area.
