The Western Cape will seek to honour the legacy of former statesman, Nelson Mandela, through the development of a heritage tourism route which traces Madiba’s journey in our province.
Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said as part of the province’s growth strategy, Project Khulisa, a series of initiatives are being mooted to boost our heritage tourism offering.
Minister Winde said the proposal stemmed from South African Tourism’s mobile app, which is based on the “Madiba-inspired tourism attractions” map.
“The map was launched in 2014 to encourage local and international tourists to walk in the footsteps of Madiba. We hope these initiatives will offer an authentic experience to visitors, allowing them to experience a piece of the Western Cape’s rich cultural heritage.”
The proposal is to develop signage for the Madiba route, which will highlight culturally significant sites in the province.
“It is our goal to develop clear signage for the Madiba route so tourists are able to easily navigate to the different sites. We will work with local and national tourism authorities to market the route. At this stage this is a proposal, and we will engage the relevant stakeholders. Collaboration with key roleplayers is key to ensure the project’s success,” said Minister Winde.
Minister Winde explained there were five sites in the Western Cape that formed part of proposed Mandela journey, namely:
- Robben Island
- Pollsmoor Prison
- Drakenstein Correctional Services
- City Hall
- Parliament
The proposal will be included in the Project Khulisa action plan aimed at growing the tourism industry. It will be submitted to Cabinet for approval next month.
“Project Khulisa has shown that under a high-growth scenario we can increase the economic contribution of the tourism sector by up to R28 billion from R17 billion. Under this same scenario, it could add up to 100 000 formal jobs. Currently, 204 000 residents are formally employed in the tourism sector. To achieve these goals, the private and public sector have to collaborate and jointly invest in a set of focused, specific projects which maximise our unique attractions,” said Minister Winde.
For media queries, kindly contact:
Bronwynne Jooste
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
E-mail: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za
