Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the Minister of Tourism, will officially launch the first 2010 Visitor Information Centres (VICs) in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, 30 July 2009.
The three centres are intended to provide a one-stop information service to tourists requiring information on a wide range of tourism aspects including tourism information enquiries, reservations, accommodation, tours, vehicle hire, entertainment, dining, sports, adventure, shopping, travel tips. The centres create easy access and awareness of tourism related facilities within an area.
The national 2010 VICs project, funded by our department will see VICs developed in five of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa host cities. The five identified cities are: Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, Polokwane in Limpopo, Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, Rustenburg in the North West and Bloemfontein in the Free State. These less visited provinces were earmarked for the VICs in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup South Africa, but also to grow tourism arrivals both locally and internationally.
All the VICs also boast specially designed information and reservation system tailored to cater for the South African market.
The three Visitor Information Centres to be launched are located within the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, which incorporates Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Despatch and Colchester. The flagship centre in Port Elizabeth is housed in the lighthouse facility at the Donkin Reserve, with the two satellite facilities situated at the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World as well as the Port Elizabeth airport.
Media is invited to attend this event.
Launch details:
Date: Thursday, 30 July 2009
Time: 10h30 to 12h00
Venue: Leonardo's Restaurant, Shop 51, Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World, Marine Drive, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth
RSVP:
Judith van der Merwe
Cell: 083 321 2617
Tel: 012 310 3309
E-mail: jvdmerwe@deat.gov.za or
Princess Tobin
Cell: 082 818 2834
Tel: 041 502 0021
E-mail: ptobin@mandelametro.gov.za
For media queries contact:
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
Kupido Baron
Cell: 082 780 2726
