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NORTHERN CAPE SHINES AT TOURISM INDABA

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By Zandisile Luphahla

The MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Mac Jack, said the Northern Cape Tourism raised the bar in the 2018 Indaba held at Durban International Convention Centre.

This comes after the Northern Cape Tourism won an Outdoor Stand Gold award. “Last year I indicated in my budget speech that we are in a process of procuring a tourism bus. This year, for the first time when we brought the bus to Indaba, we received a gold award in the outdoor category.”

The Indaba which started on Tuesday and ending yesterday, 10 May, is an annual Tourism Travel Africa Show, attended by Buyers from 1747 countries all over the world and more than 22 exhibiting African countries.

“The Northern Cape Tourism proved once again that it can participate fully in the international arena. As it is the case every year, our stands attracted more buyers this year. This is precisely because we improve on our products each year,” he said.

“We held a successful diamond draw competition which saw two people winning high quality diamonds mined in our Province. The Northern Cape Tourism Authority (NCTA) also cemented our long-standing partnership with the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA).

“The three-year agreement which was signed on Wednesday will see the two provinces cross-selling the two regions as a Cape Experience and creating travel draw cards to both provinces.”

Jack welcomed the renaming of Vanderkloof Dam after struggle icon Nelson Mandela. Vanderkloof Dam located in the Northern Cape is South Africa’s second largest dam. This was revealed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee as it announced plans to celebrate the centenary events of Mandela and Albertina Sisulu. The renaming of the Vanderkloof Dam will be in September.

The 18 Northern Cape Gems also attracted the interest of buyers at the Hidden Gems Village and also at the Speed Marketing sessions during Indaba with the line-up ranging from culture, heritage and history, the township vibe and the wildlife and adventure. The hidden gems included the small business tour operators, accommodation, arts and crafts attractions, restaurant owners and adventure operators.

“Our SMMEs have been identified as productive drivers of inclusive economic growth and development in the Northern Cape. They are considered an important contributor to the economy as drivers for job creation,” he said.

At the Indaba the province promoted the Northern Cape’s numerous tourism offerings from adventure-based experiences, authentic cultural attractions and the gems experiences.

The MEC has thanked everyone who participated in the success of the Northern Cape Tourism at the Indaba in 2018

Zandisile Luphahla is the MEC’s spokesperson.

Issued by: Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism