Northern Cape Dazzles the World at Indaba 2010
26 May 2010
The Northern Cape Province builds up to 2011 mega tourism events and destination repositioning, building on existing positioning as South Africa's exploration and discovery destination of choice. |
Members of the international and domestic media were truly dazzled at Saturday 8 May’s Durban-based tourism Indaba special briefing and presentation on mega tourism events coming to the Northern Cape in 2011, inclusive of the launch of the new destination market repositioning.
Indaba is the largest annual travel trade fair in the southern hemisphere and last year’s event yielded approximately 14 000 delegates, thus the 2010 event (with approximately 600 media hosted) has been an even bigger event.
This year’s Indaba highlights included the NCTA stand notching up the
Platinum Award in the Indaba Stand Awards.
In the
Northern Cape Exhibitor Awards, Northern Cape entrants were honoured in the following categories:
Overall Winner
• Winner: Repa Guest House (Kimberley)
• Runner Up: Tata Ma Tata Tours (Upington)
Best Stand
• Winner: O’Kiep Country Hotel (O’Kiep)
• Runner up: Ekhaya Guest House (Kimberley)
Brand Ambassador
• Winner: Richtersveld Tourism (Richtersveld)
• Runner up: Karoo Experience (Emthanjeni)
The following Northern Cape establishments ranked amongst finalists in the prestigious 2010 AA Travel Guides American Express Accommodation Awards Programme:
Bed and Breakfast with self catering – small
• La Boheme Guest House (Upington): Winner
• Aletheim Guest House Collection (Kimberley): Finalist
• @Belurana River Manoror (Upington): Highly Commended
Game & / or Nature Reserve
• Mattanu Private Game Reserve: Finalist
Guest House Dinner by Arrangement – Large
• Africa River Lodge (Upington): Finalist
Heritage Accommodation
• The Australian Arms Guest Lodge (Kimberley): Highly Commended
Self Catering Suites / Apartments
• Port Indigo (Port Nolloth): Finalist
Selected Service Hotel – Small
• Garden Court (Kimberley): Highly Commended
As for other Indaba action that went down…
Newbie and up-and-coming Northern Cape skateboarders (all looking very oulik on their skateboards) had a chance to strut their stuff as they pirouetted through the skies flipping up and down a ramp set up in a prominent position that Indaba delegates simply couldn’t miss! Northern Cape plans to roll out with a skateboarding development programme to introduce youngsters to the sport in the lead up to the Maloof Money Cup: the world’s richest skateboarding event, which Kimberley has secured for 2011 until 2013!
Northern Cape is renowned across the globe as the land of extreme contrasts, not least the juxtaposed contrasts of the Richtersveld World Heritage Site, the Ai Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, southern Kalahari desert, Augrabies waterfall, the Orange River, the Karoo, Namaqualand flowers, rare plants such as the giant quiver tree and “half human”, lesser flamingo breeding site, Africa’s largest and smallest raptor, stargazing and many indigenous cultures such as that of the San, Nama, Griqua and traditional villagers.
“All of this makes for an unusually attractive backdrop to stage some of the most exhilarating and at times even most extreme travel experiences anywhere in the world,” notes Northern Cape Tourism Authority (NCTA) Chairperson of the Board Karel Phentela.
At the Indaba event, Phentela introduced to the assembled officials, media and travel trade guests by live SKYPE broadcast on a big screen, UK-based Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andrew Green, who is the current holder of the world land speed record. Green outlined progress made with development of the Bloodhound car, designed to be the world’s ultimate fastest car as they attempt to break the 1 000 miles per hour at Hakskeen Pan in the Green Kalahari.
Also engaging by SKYPE with guests was USA-based Joe Maloof, owner of the Maloof Money Cup, the world’s richest extreme skateboarding championship. He discussed the staging of this event in Kimberley.
The Premier of the Northern Cape, Honourable Ms. Hazel Jenkins, and the Member of Executive Council responsible for Finance, Economic Development & Tourism, Honourable. Mr. John Block, took questions on tourism development and promotion in the Northern Cape.
Concluding, Phentela comments that the NCTA is always mindful of adhering to the province’s brand attributes as the province of wide open spaces, spectacular semi-desert scenery and landscapes, of adventure possibilities, of a fascinating diamond industry history past and present, there’s the magnetism of the bygone Diamond Rush era, we have a rugged spectacular coastline, of cultural diversity, uniqueness, authenticity, extremes, surprising, tough, unpretentious, warm, embracing, rooted in the soils, adventurousness, surprising.
“Northern Cape serves up ample doses of nostalgia, exhilaration and achievement,” as Phentela puts it.
“For the visitor seeking out a self-discovery journey and a complete escape from city life in wide open spaces, Northern Cape is real, timeless and free without boundaries. We are adventurous and extreme; we are surprising and tough – and unpretentious, rooted in the soils, all warm and embracing,” he says.
Visit the Northern Cape Tourism Authority website at
http://www.northerncape.org.za or telephone +27 +53 +832 2657 /
+27 +53 +832 2643 / +27 +53 +831 2789, or e-mail
northerncapetourism@telkomsa.net.
