Domestic holiday makers before the 4x4 ban, to the current mix where
domestic tourism (South Africans) form a very small portion.
The domestic tourism market within the entire Elephant Coast has
suffered imensly with the informal market taking the brunt, as this
sector has extremely limited resources, and was unable to adapt to the
new tourism model as propsed by the Minister of DEAT in 2003 / 2004
The economic losses associated with the partial collapse of the
domestic tourism market of the Elephant Coast caused by the 4x4 ban
has been rather significant, but little government attention has been
given to the far reaching socio-economic directly connected to the
absence of the domestic tourist from the Elephant Coast tourism
market.
This short coming was even discussed in parliament, where the minister
specifically said that the informal sector had not adapted to the new
tourism model, which was never adopted by KZN tourism, or even
discussed with the tourism industry of the Elephant Coast
(Umkhanyakude district municipality). I have as of date of this
writing not been able to locate a copy of the tourism model the
Minister wanted us to adopt and use!!!!!!
The Elephant Coast Tourism Association has not issued a statement
stating what this new tourism model is and what will be required to
meet the new standards, and the Mtubatuba municipality has no record
of this new policy or tourism model being sent to them directly from
the minister, so basically the entire Elephant Coast is in the DARK,
and we need some help in understanding exactly what the Minister
expects the disenfranchised to do.
Before the closure of our beaches to motor vehicle access which
allowed the recreational beach used to access their favorite coastal
recreational use areas the tourism mix was in favor of DOMESTIC
tourism, now days domestic tourists are actually not very welcome in
St. Lucia, as you pointed out in your writing (Attached below)
The Association of Recreational Beach users (ARBU) has started working
on these issues, and now requires the public to support our cause in
gaining reasonable access to the Coastal Zones of South Africa. The
ZCCI (Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry) has formed a forum to
address this issue in the Umhlatuze Municipality (Richards bay area)
and ARBU has started circulating a petition, to gain public support
for the beach access issue.
This petition may be found at
http://arbu.info4u.co.za/BAF%20petition%201%20July%202009.pdf
ARBU has a twitter profile to be found at http://twitter.com/ARBU4U
ARBU has a google group to be found athttp://groups.google.co.za/group/arbu
Please forward these above web addresses to any body that you think
may have an interest in these matters.
Once again many thanx for your past support.
Regards Frank
Frank Gainsford
(Mtuba4u) 072 595 5111
http://www.mtuba4u.co.za http://www.info4u.co.za
arbu@webmail.co.za frank@info4u.co.za isimangaliso@gnail.com
mtuba4u@hotmail.com
On 7/14/09, Petrus Viviers <petrus@forafrica.co.za> wrote:
> St. Lucia Estuary is facing a economical disaster with the new SAMSA
> Marine Act as published in 2007. This will leave most of the Lake
> Cruises stranded. Although this is just a reinforcement of an 1954 act
> many operating vessels does not comply with the bouncy regulations.
>
> Contributing to this, the conversion of normal residential properties
> into Guest Houses or B&B's as left the small towns services under great
> pressure. The main concern here is the fact that these properties where
> taxed at residential when the service infra structure where developed.
> This user group has also supported the National ban on RUV's on the
> beaches.
>
> Now at the front of the fight against "noise pollution" is the same user
> group. ....
>
> Will the city fathers, in their great wisdom, find a way to raise taxes
> in a fair manner that will include this user group into a tax base to
> help fund the rebuilt/upgrade the sewerage works and other services. The
> majority of the establishments in St. Lucia Estuary are already faced
> with a reduced occupation rate since 2001, increased Eskom rates, water
> supply problems and now the World Economical melt down.
>
> Yet these "other" establishments has not filed any complaints against
> the foreign user group. They seeked refuge in local tourist markets like
> the Drag Races once a month at 121 Battalion. The annual Harley run was
> and is a great contribution to the economy. A very strong Green Eco
> Tourist lobby group are now emerging from the B&B user Group to curb the
> fun in the sun Holiday atmosphere into a Board and Lodging for the old
> and retired .... Who will pay for everything if we do not expand ad
> utilize the domestic tourist market.
>
> Regards
>
> Petrus Viviers
> 083 584 7473
> www.stlucia.org.za
>
No comments:
Post a Comment