René Bongers has been elected chairperson of Mossel Bay Tourism

Hotelier René Bongers has been elected chairperson of the board of Mossel Bay Tourism for the second consecutive year.

Mr. Bongers is one of the owners of Eight Bells Mountain Inn, a member of the board of Mossel Bay’s business chamber, and the vice-chairperson of Gartour (Garden Route Tourism – a marketing collective for attractions and accommodation providers in the Southern Cape). He was elected to his position as chairperson of Mossel Bay Tourism at the company’s monthly board meeting, which took place last week.

“I’m excited about the coming year for a two reasons,” he said.

“First, the increased positivity in our relationship with the municipality has resulted in an increased willingness on the part of the Council to help us put Mossel Bay more firmly on the map as the Southern Cape’s premier destination.

“This is not to say that the relationship between ourselves was ever in question, but the fact that the Council has commissioned a new study of the local economy that places a particular emphasis on tourism proves that it is serious about our industry, and that’s heartening.

“Secondly, I get the distinct impression that the doom and gloom of the past few years might be receding.

“We’re seeing an increase in the number of requests for group bookings, events and functions at my hotel, and I’m hopeful that this is a precursor to a better year for all of us.”

Mr. Bongers said that Mossel Bay Tourism will continue to increase its emphasis on electronic marketing, and especially on social media marketing in the coming year.

“Our web site received a huge boost in the number of unique visitors in  the month after we established our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay). This makes sense, too, because all indications are that the electronic media is our most important source of incoming tourists.

“At the same time, I think we need to increase our international marketing efforts, and also to re-position our domestic marketing because the statistics have shown that the vast majority of South African visitors to our information office come from Cape Town and the Western Cape.”

He said that Mossel Bay Tourism will also continue to strengthen its ties to other sectors of the economy through its work with the Business Chamber.

“I also plan to focus on encouraging members to participate more fully by coming up with ideas for stimulating our tourism economy.”

Mr. Bongers said that he was looking forward to working with, “A great tourism board which is ably supported by our COO, Marcia Holm, and her team.

“We’ve also been fortunate in securing the services of Martin Hatchuel of BarefootClients, who will continue looking after our communications and media requirements.

“Everything seems to be in place for strengthening Mossel Bay’s position as the ‘Do stuff’ destination that leads the way when it comes to delivering quality tourism experiences on the most beautiful coast in the world,” he said.

More information: www.visitmosselbay.co.za and www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay

The contractors who’ve been facilitating a study into Mossel Bay’s economy wrapped up a series of sector-specific workshops this week, and will present their findings at a feed-back session and Way Forward Workshop that will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on

Invitation to attend feedback workshops on development of Mossel Bay’s local economic development and tourism strategy

Thursday, 9 February, at the Diaz Strand Hotel.

Community leaders and representatives from the tourism industry and all other business sectors are invited to attend.

“The brief was to use the PACA (Participatory Assessment of Competitive Advantage) Process to capture a picture of the economy and the tourism industry so that, together with the Municipality, we can develop a local economic development and tourism strategy that is consistent with the present conditions in Mossel Bay,” said lead facilitator, Alewijn Dippenaar, of Interface by Goji.

“In the process we conducted eighteen sector specific workshops, and over a hundred private interviews, and distributed more than 300 questionnaires to businesses throughout the municipal area of Mossel Bay.

He said that the study has already shown that Mossel Bay has a number of competitive advantages which can, in theory, position it as a leading destination for investment and tourism.

“But, of course, we’ve also found certain constraints, and these need to be discussed, and ways need to be found of moving the rocks from the path if we’re going to grow the economy.”

Mr. Dippenaar said that the process was necessarily a quick one, but that it has revealed a “Wealth of information which should help both the local authority and local business to achieve their shared objectives.”

He said that the process will only end once the last person has had his or her say.

“We’ll be spending the next few days processing the data we’ve collected so far, and we’ll present our findings to the Municipality early next week, and then to all the interested and affected parties on Thursday.

“Having said that, though, it’s still be possible for citizens to make written submissions by fax to 086 679 1603, or by e-mail to dyndev [at] mweb.co.za.”

The questions to which the facilitators are seeking answers are:

(1) What motivated you to establish a business in Mossel Bay, and what motivates you to maintain and grow your existing business in Mossel Bay? Are you contemplating starting a new business here, and why?

(2) What constraints make doing business locally more difficult than it should be, and what are the advantages of doing business in Mossel Bay?

(3) How are your businesses investing in empowerment initiatives – staff training, mentorship, and black economic empowerment?

(4) What investments are your businesses making in the green economy? Do you have any green programmes in place (recycling, solar heating, etc.)?

The feed-back session and Way Forward Workshop will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, 9 February, at the Diaz Strand Hotel. To attend, please contact Mimi Finestone: telephone 084 583 3144 or e-mail mimi@gojipr.net

ENDS

Media Release by Interface by Goji:

Mimi Finestone c/o Interface by Goji
Cell: 0027(0)84 583 3144
mimi [at] gojipr.net

www.gojipr.net
Interface by goji
72 Hibernia Street
George
6529

*Like* Mossel Bay on Facebook – go to www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay

Mossel Bay Tourism has called for increased awareness of the need to protect the area’s marine environment.

This comes as the organisation prepares to take part in International Responsible Tourism Week (12-15 February), an -on-line ‘un-conference’ organised by one of the world’s oldest responsible tourism web sites – planeta.com.

A seal killed by unnatural causes, and litter collected on a Mossel Bay beach during a recent informal clean-up.

“In Mossel Bay, as in most other parts of the world, any threat to the environment is a threat to tourism,” said Mossel Bay Tourism board member, Fred Orban.

Mr. Orban is also a member of the Mossel Bay Environmental Partnership, and runs two popular multi-day hiking trails which seek to introduce visitors to the environment and to the important relics of ancient human history which can be found along the coast to the west of the town’s Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse.

He said that the marine environment of the Mossel Bay area is blessed with an unusually large variety of species, and that this was a key to unlocking the tourism potential of the area.

“Few places in the world can boast the kind of variety that you find here – but we still need to do a lot of work to make this fact known. And, of course, we have to make sure that whatever tourism we put in place is sensitive to the needs of the environment.”

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm said that a number of attractions have developed around the area’s marine species.

“Ongoing studies by the Mammal Research Institute of the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria, working in conjunction with the locally based Oceans Research, have proved that Mossel Bay is an important whale and dolphin watching destination.

“They have records of visits by southern right and sperm whales, humpback, common and bottlenose dolphins, and other mammals – like killer and Bryde’s whales – have been seen here.

“The beaches have also occasionally revealed rare vagrants, like the southern elephant seal that spent four days resting on Diaz Beach in 2010, and the two pygmy sperm whales that washed ashore last year,” she said.

Ms. Holm said that the Bay’s large seal population is an important key to the well-being of the great white sharks which are the subject of intense scientific study.

“The fact that institutions like Oceans Research (under Ryan Johnson and Enrico Gennari) have chosen to do their valuable work on the great whites here in Mossel Bay, and that masters students of the University of Pretoria are doing their whale and dolphin research here, highlights the significance of this area to so many of our coastline’s most important species,” said Mr. Orban.

He said that the shoreline west of the town is a breeding ground for the endangered African black oyster catcher, and that Mossel Bay is the source of the Garden Route’s famous wild coastal oysters – and that both species are thriving because the beaches and rocky shores of the area are well managed, and largely unaffected by human interference.

“Successful tourism is the key to the upliftment of standards of living for each and every member of the community, and everyone should do their utmost to protect the environment because the environment puts Mossel Bay streets ahead of any other coastal town in the country.

“Mossel Bay boasts a number of attractions based on its marine environment – including the Maritime Museum and the Shell Museum and Aquarium at the Dias Museum Complex; Ocean’s Research’s Shark and Ray Aquarium at The Point; boat- and shore-based whale and dolphin watching; trips to Seal Island; shark cage diving; the Cape St. Blaize Hiking Trail; fishing safaris; and guided tours of the Oyster Bay Reserve.

“We need to develop a pride in what we have, and protect what we’ve got instead of destroying it if we’re going to develop a sustainable tourism industry in Mossel Bay,” said Mr. Orban.

More information

• Mossel Bay: www.visitmosselbay.co.za and www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay
• Oceans Research: www.oceans-research.com
• Responsible Tourism Week: http://planeta.wikispaces.com/rtweek2012

*Like* Mossel Bay on Facebook – go to www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay

Members of the staff of Mossel Bay Tourism went aboard to welcome the passengers of The World Residence at Sea when the ship over-nighted in the Bay last week.

The super yacht bills itself as the only private residential community-at-sea – and, to allow the owners and their guests of its 165 private apartments time to explore the countries and harbours that it visits, is known for spending almost more time in port than under sail.

The World passes the lighthouse at the entrance to the Mossel Bay Harbour. Pic: Nade Welch

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Louma Jansen and Christof van Tonder were stationed at a table in the ship’s lobby.

“We were placed across the way from the concierge, and there was a live band playing music when the guests came downstairs on their way to the launches,” said Ms. Jansen.

She said that some of them enjoyed a wildlife experience at Botlierskop, outside Mossel Bay, while The World was at anchor.

“Our job was to provide information to anyone who wanted to know about the town and the Garden Route, so we displayed and handed out our maps and brochures, and we also took copies of the latest edition of the Mossel Bay Advertiser along with us.

“The guests we spoke to were very interested in the region, and at least one couple said that they’d be coming back to explore the Garden Route next year.

“We also fielded enquiries about the arts in Mossel Bay,” she said.

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm said that it’s always an honour to welcome passenger liners to the town.

“Mossel Bay boasts the smallest commercial harbour in the country, and only the smallest cruise ships can enter it – but the Bay itself is generally flat and calm, and, like all larger liners, The World anchored in the Bay, and transferred its passengers to shore in its own boats.

“I’m sure it was a pleasant experience for everyone.”

In other developments, Western Cape Minister of Tourism Alan Winde released a statement this week in which he said, “The cruise ship industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, accounting for over 13.5 million passenger trips a year, and the Western Cape wants to be a part of it.”

“We totally support the Minister in this regard,” said Ms. Holm.

The 43,524 ton The World (length 196.35 metres, beam 29.8 m, draft 6.7 m, with a crew of 260) has 12 decks and can cruise at a maximum speed of 18.5 knots. It’s owned by its residents (15% of whom are South Africans) – who represent 130 families from 19 different countries.

According to its web site, the ship usually carries between 150 to 200 residents and guests, and most residents spend an average of four months on board every year.

“It’s quite exciting to think that the people who visited Mossel Bay aboard The World travelled here without ever leaving their homes,” said Ms. Jansen.

More information
Mossel Bay: www.visitmosselbay.co.za and www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay

A new study into the competitive advantages of Mossel Bay’s economy will be formally inaugurated on Thursday the 19th of January during a ‘PACA Process Kick-off Workshop’ that will take place at the old power station on Santos Beach.

The process will be facilitated by a team made up of municipal officials working with a Mossel Bay-based firm of economic, tourism, and communications consultants – Interface by Goji.

“PACA – Participatory Assessment of Competitive Advantage – is a fast and reliable tool that’s shown itself to be both efficient and cost-effective in the development of economic development strategies for small and medium-sized communities,” said Goji team leader, Alewijn Dippenaar.

Mossel Bay’s old power station building - venue for all upcoming PACA workshops

He said that the inclusion of the officials in the process is one of PACA’s biggest advantages. “It means that there’ll be a transfer of skills and that the town will enjoy the benefits of a corporate memory when the consultants leave – which is designed to ensure the proper implementation of the final strategy.

“Besides the involvement of the officials, it’s vitally important that representatives of all sectors of the economy also take part.

“This will ensure ownership of the strategy, and bring the community  together in a collaborative way when it comes to implementing the strategy,” he said.

Mossel Bay Municipality’s Director of Corporate Services, Edward Jantjies, said that the process would lead to a local economic development strategy that would include tourism as one of its major components.

“We won’t be discarding any of the work that’s gone before – such as the Economic Development Charter: this new process is aimed at pulling everything together into a coherent road map for the future of the town,” he said.

Mr. Dippenaar said that ‘Participatory’ is the key word in the process.

“We have started collecting data through informal interviews with various role players, and now we’re going into the second phase of the project – what we call the workshop phase.

“In the weeks following the Kick-off Workshop, we’ll be holding eighteen mini workshops for the various sectors of the economy, as well as holding personal interviews with between a hundred and a hundred and fifty key role players, and we’ll be distributing hundreds of questionnaires around the town, and in areas like KwaNonqaba, Extension 23, D’Almeida, Dana Bay, and Great Brak River.

“All this is aimed at developing an accurate snap-shot of the economy,” he said.

“Basically we’ll be looking to answer four fundamental questions: (a) what motivates people to establish and grow businesses in Mossel Bay; (b) what constraints make doing business locally more difficult than it should be, and what advantages are there to doing business in the town; (c) how do local business people view – and how are they investing in – empowerment initiatives like staff training, mentorship, and BEE; and (d) what investments are local businesses making in the green economy.

“From this, we’ll be able to formulate a strategy that will, we hope, improve and grow the town’s economy as a whole.”

Mr. Jantjies said the Kick-off Workshop will be attended by the mayor and her councillors, the directors of the Mossel Bay Municipality, and representatives from tourism, organised business, organised agriculture, and other important sectors of the economy.

“During the Kick-off workshop, we will inform everyone about how the process will unfold, and how individuals and organisations can contribute,” he said.

Businesspeople and members of the public who wish to contribute to the PACA process should contact Mimi Finestone: mimi@gojipr.net

ENDS

Media Release by Interface by Goji:

Mimi Finestone c/o Interface by Goji
Cell: 0027(0)84 583 3144
mimi [at] gojipr.net

Mariki Theron c/o Interface by Goji
Cell: 0027(0)83 375 3973
mariki [at] gojipr.net

www.gojipr.net
Interface by goji
72 Hibernia Street
George
6529

The members of Mossel Bay Tourism have chosen René Bongers, Ray Murray, Koos Schutte, Jauckie Viljoen, and Fred Orban to serve as elected members on the company’s board. The election took place at their annual general meeting, which was held at The Point Hotel on Wednesday this week.

The board also includes members appointed by the Mossel Bay Municipality: Alderman Emile Scheepers, Councillor Petru Terblanche, the Municipal Manager, Dr. Michele Gratz, and Suzette van Wyk, who represents the community of D’Almeida.

The Municipality is the company’s major funder.

According to the company’s articles of association, the new board will elect a chairman at its first official meeting.

The newly elected members of Mossel Bay Tourism’s board for 2011-12: Ray Murray, Koos Schutte, René Bongers, Fred Orban and Jauckie Viljoen.

Speaking during the AGM, outgoing chairman René Bongers said that indicators point to a recovery in the tourism industry. He said that Danny Bryer, the director of sales, marketing and revenue for the Protea Hospitality Group, has recently written that “Demand is increasing; the total number of rooms sold in the past two months is up by 5% year on year and that’s extremely important because there are more rooms available since the time of the World Cup.”

Mr. Bongers went on to say, “Of course we all hope that these predictions are correct. And if they are, I believe that Mossel Bay is strategically positioned to be first in line when the demand begins to rise. I believe this because, despite everything else, Mossel Bay Tourism has never let up on its marketing campaign. We have made – and continue to make – a particularly strong impression on the market, and this means that people should think of us first when they think of travelling.”

The elected members of the board will serve voluntarily, and each one will represent a separate sector of the tourism industry: René Bongers, who owns the Eight Bells Mountain Inn, will represent the hotels; Ray Murray, of Pick ‘n Pay in the Bayside Mall, will represent the business sector; Koos Schutte, of Amzee Bokmakierrie, will represent the guest houses and B&Bs; Jauckie Viljoen, of Backroad Safaris, will represent the activities; and Fred Orban, of Sandpiper Cottages, will represent the self-catering establishments.

Like Mossel Bay on Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitmosselbay

Conservationist Aiden Beck – manager of Mossel Bay’s Oyster Bay Reserve – has been invited to address the members of Mossel Bay Tourism at their annual general meeting, which will take place at The Point Hotel on the 30th of November, 2011.

The Oyster Bay Reserve’s Aiden Beck will speak at Mossel Bay Tourism AGM on the 30th of November 2011.

Mr. Beck will talk about the Mossel Bay Environmental Partnership (MEP), opportunities for eco tourism in the Oyster Bay Reserve, and the work of the St. Blaize Biodiversity Forum.

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm said that his invitation was timeous since the AGM will take place on a date close to the world’s largest conservation conference – Durban’s COP17.

“What I’ll be aiming to do is to show how eco tourism is closely linked to both our natural environment and our various communities, and therefore why it’s important for everyone to get involved in preserving it for the future,” said Mr. Beck.

Ms. Holm said that the AGM will get underway at 10:00 a.m. “Although it will be open to all members of Mossel Bay Tourism, only fully paid up members resident in the municipal area have the right to vote,” she said.

• Mossel Bay Tourism AGM
• The Point Hotel
• Wednesday 30 November at 10:00 a.m.

Media Release. Mossel Bay Tourism. 6 April 2011

‘Mossel Bay Leads’- Western Cape Tourism and Finance Minister

Western Cape MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, believes that Mossel Bay is “streets ahead of other towns in the [Garden Route and Klein Karoo] region.”

This emerged Monday during a two hour-long breakfast meeting with members of the Mossel Bay Business Chamber.

“In the recent past, Mossel Bay has been very proactive when it comes to attracting investment and tourism,” he said.

In sketching an outline of the provincial economy, Minister Winde said that “I’m concerned that there’s all this talk about growth, but that we’re not yet seeing evidence of it on the ground: when you open the newspapers to the auction pages, you still see that too many companies are going under.

“This is particularly so outside of the main centres.

“A lot of this has to do with confidence, and we need to be aggressive in building investor confidence – and this is where towns like Mossel Bay are taking the lead.”

Western Cape MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde

Minister Winde said that the Western Cape has been following a policy of focussing investment in areas of economic growth, and that, in the Western Cape, this meant, amongst others, the Cape Metropole and the Garden Route Region.

“This is not to say that we aren’t paying attention to the rural economy, but that we’re focussing on areas where investment will have the best return in terms of things like job creation,” he said.

“What we’re doing is putting money into the areas where opportunities lie.”

Members of the audience at the meeting expressed concern and said that it appeared to them that the Province’s destination marketing organisation – Cape Town Routes Unlimited – was neglecting the Garden Route in favour of other regions or that it was focussing only on Cape Town.

“This is an issue that I’ll raise when I get back to the city to ensure that we’re giving our support across the board,” he said.

Minister Winde promised to continue the drive to use the Dias Museum Complex and the historically important Cape St Blaize Cave as levers to grow tourism in Mossel Bay, and said that he would request a meeting with the MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport to discuss the matter.

“While I’ve been in Mossel Bay, I’ve also paid attention to ongoing questions about the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, and paid a visit to the Voorbaai Yards, where I was satisfied that valuable assets are being properly guarded against theft and decay. This is a great relief to me because if those assets go, a bit of history goes with them.

“In fact, many of the parts have been packed and locked up, and are probably more secure now than when they were in an operational condition.”

It is, however, too early for him to speculate on any future for the train – although he did express his irritation at the slow progress in the matter, and said that he has requested an appointment with Transnet’s new CEO, Brian Molefe.

Vice chairman of the Mossel Bay Business Chamber, Ray Murray, – who is also a member of the board of Mossel Bay Tourism – said that he was excited to hear Minister Winde’s feelings about Mossel Bay.

“We know that this is a town of the future, and we’re pleased that it’s attracting the attention of leaders at Provincial Government level,” he said.

ENDS

Media Release: Mossel Bay Tourism. 13 September 2010

New Mossel Bay Reserve to Showcase Biodiversity

A new community nature reserve – the first of its kind in Mossel Bay – will showcase the unique biodiversity of the region whilst creating job-, education-, and tourism opportunities.

The 300 hectare Oyster Bay Reserve was established in 2003, and is situated alongside the Garden Route Casino, the Pinnacle Point Beach and Golf Resort, and the suburb of KwaNonqaba: it runs down to the sea at Oyster Bay itself.

“The Oyster Bay Reserve is set to open to the public in November, and this is good news coming as it does at this time, because we’re in the middle of South Africa’s Tourism Month – and the Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has declared ‘Tourism and Biodiversity’ to be its theme,” said Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm.

“It’s also significant that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity,” she said.

Manager of the Reserve, Aiden Beck, said that the term biodiversity describes the number and variety of life forms found within a given environment.

“It’s really just a new way of saying species diversity or species richness, and it can be applied to a small area like our reserve, or to the entire planet – but it’s important, because it’s one of the ways we measure the health of an ecosystem.”

He said that, as in many other areas of the world, Mossel Bay’s biodiversity is threatened by a raft of factors ranging from urbanisation to global warming.

“Tourism in Mossel Bay relies significantly on the area’s natural, pristine beauty, and our natural and cultural assets are vital for creating jobs and income.”

He said that the Oyster Bay Reserve will feature an Environmental Education Centre as well as a number of tourism products ranging from donkey cart tours, to hiking trails and bird watching. A penguin rehabilitation centre, and beekeeping and worm farming projects will also be established.

“The Education Centre – which will feature an intimate amphitheatre for lectures and demonstrations – has been designed to showcase sustainable living technologies, and will welcome the local community as well as visitors.”

Mr. Beck said that the hiking trails would be the first of the projects to open to visitors, and that they will follow a route to the coast via a number of watering holes, and through three distinct fynbos biomes.

“Although this is essentially a botanical reserve, there is a variety of game, and the bird watching is excellent,” he said.

Ms. Holm said that, besides its value as a conservation area and an educational resource, the Reserve will play an important role in the local tourism industry.

“People come to Mossel Bay for its natural beauty, and many of them are hungry for information about its unique environment.

“Now, with a well-managed Reserve so close to the centre of town (it’s only about five kilometres from the tourism office), we’ll be able to offer meaningful experiences that will fulfill that need – and we hope that the awareness these experiences create will go a long way towards preserving the rich biodiversity of our area,” she said.

Visit www.oysterbayreserve.co.za for information on the Reserve’s environmental and eco tourism projects. For more about Mossel Bay, go to www.visitmosselbay.co.za

ENDS 538 Words

Media Release. Mossel Bay Tourism. 2 September 2010.

Members of the Dias Festival Joint Organising Committee (JOC) - from left: Dias Museum Complex manager Mbulelo Mrubata, Festival coordinator Juanita Pienaar, and Dias Museum Management Committee chairman, Harold Miller.

Juanita Pienaar to Coordinate Dias Fest

Next year’s Dias Festival, which will be held in Mossel Bay from the 3rd to the 6th of February, will be coordinated by Juanita Pienaar.

Ms. Pienaar recently also coordinated the Summer Festival at Santos Beach, and the Kraak-i-Mossel Festival at The Point.

“Mossel Bay was the first point of contact between the European explorers and the indigenous people of South Africa, so it is a vitally important site in the history of our country,” said Mbulelo Mrubata, manager of the Dias Museum Complex, which will be the focus point of next year’s Festival.

He said that the South African Navy will once again be part of the event next year, and that it had agreed to send vessels, its band, and its mobile display and careers exhibition to Mossel Bay.

“The vessels will enter the Harbour on the 523rd anniversary of Dias’ landing at Mossel Bay,” he said.

“While the Museum will be the designated Festival Grounds, it’s important that the whole town and the whole community become involved in the Festival,” said Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm.

“Over the next week, we’ll be circulating all the service clubs, sports clubs, schools, and similar organisations, and asking them to join in, and to put their events onto the programme.”

She said that the annual Vryburgers Marathon – which has been run every year since 1988 – would once again take place during the Festival, and that the Friends of the Dias Museum would be holding a concert of Operatic Arias in the Maritime Museum.

“The Maritime Museum has the most amazing acoustics, and is available for other, similar events, and, of course, the Museum Grounds will, as always, be made available to stall holders – and particularly to local crafters and artists,” said Ms. Holm.

“Because of its association with Bartolomeu Dias, we’ve decided to give the Festival a strong Portuguese theme, and we’ve been in contact with the Portuguese Embassy, and invited them to take part,” she said.  “Also, we’re encouraging the restaurants and shebeens to put on jazz shows, and we’ll be asking them to include Portuguese dishes in their menus for the duration.”

She said that the Mossel Bay Aero Club had shown interest, and that the schools, churches, and sports cubs would be encouraged to use their own venues for Festival events.

“In this way, we’ll spread the Festival through the entire community,” she said.

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Louma Jansen is currently compiling a list of organisations and event managers who will be taking part in the Dias Festival 2011: contact her on 044 691 2202 or info@visitmosselbay.co.za

As a result of decisions taken at this week’s JOC meeting, Ms. Pienaar will coordinate a committee that will include representatives of the Dias Museum’s Management Board, the Friends of the Dias, Museum, Mossel Bay Chamber of Commerce, Mossel Bay Tourism, the Municipality of Mossel Bay, etc. Contact her on 084 258 1713 or juanitapienaar@gmail.com.

ENDS 525 Words