Media Release. 25 February 2010

Mossel Bay Tourism Launches Campaign to Attract Membership From Business Community

Mossel Bay Tourism has launched a campaign to attract membership from the town’s business community.

“The 2010 FIFA World Cup perfectly demonstrates how tourism affects every sector of the economy, because while the driver of the event is football, its engine is tourism – or the movement and hosting of people into and around the country,” said Mossel Bay Tourism’s Chief Operations Officer, Marcia Holm.

“It’s therefore as a direct result of tourism that the Government has built and upgraded so many stadiums and so much infrastructure over the past six years: a programme that’s provided jobs and business opportunities for everyone from labourers to professionals – many of whom are probably not even aware how tourism has benefited them, nor how they’ve contributed to the tourism economy.

“Clearly there would have been no incentive or reason to do all of this work if the tourists – whom we’ve become used to calling ‘the fans’ – weren’t prepared to travel to South Africa or to visit our host cities.

“It’s the same in our regional and city-based economies: tourism touches everyone who lives in Mossel Bay, and every business is directly or indirectly affected by the performance of the tourism industry,” she said.

She pointed out that tourism was particularly important in the Western Cape, which has the highest proportion of graded hotels of any province in South Africa.

“It’s an indication of the impact of tourism on the Provincial economy that the Western Cape boasts 30% of all hotels on the National Star Grading Council’s list, while Gauteng, which is generally considered our richest region, has 25%, and KwaZulu Natal, which has the biggest tourism marketing budget of any of the provinces, has only 11%.

“Consider the wide variety of businesses that serve Mossel Bay’s hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, self-catering establishments and tourist attractions.

“From petrol stations to banks, from accounting, law and medical practices to engineering works and plumbing companies, there isn’t a company in Mossel Bay that can say that it doesn’t benefit from the tourism industry.

“Even the Municipality benefits, because it receives a significant proportion of its rates and taxes from tourism,” she said.

“Therefore, we’re appealing to all businesses in Mossel Bay to join Mossel Bay Tourism, and to get involved in its activities – and in that way to contribute to the sustainable economic success of the town,” she said.

Ms. Holm said that Mossel Bay Tourism’s Chairman, Neels Zietsman, was an example of a businessperson who understood that tourism and the wider business community were inextricably linked.

“As a consultant with Pam Golding Properties – which is a business that you might consider outside of the mainstream of tourism – my own fortunes are definitely influenced by the state of tourism,” said Mr. Zietsman.

“When Mossel Bay is busy with tourists, we’re busy – and vice versa.

“That’s why it’s in the best interests of every businessperson in Mossel Bay to work for increased tourism to the town,” he said.

Ms. Holm said that membership of Mossel Bay Tourism was inexpensive, and that the collection of money was not the motivation behind the drive.

“The largest proportion of our income comes from our Municipal grant, and membership fees make up only a small percentage of our operational and marketing budgets,” she said.

“This campaign is really about including the wider business community in the activities of the one sector of the economy that affects all of us the most.”

For moiré information, please contact membership@visitmosselbay.co.za, or call 044 691 2202.

ENDS 599 Words

Tags: business community, chamber of commerce, mossel bay