The Makana Edutourism project (MEP) promises remarkable and lifeenhancing experiences says MEP Director Margaret Wolff who presented an update of the project at the most recent Economic Development, Tourism and Heritage Portfolio Committee (EDTH) meeting.
The Makana Edutourism project (MEP) promises remarkable and lifeenhancing experiences says MEP Director Margaret Wolff who presented an update of the project at the most recent Economic Development, Tourism and Heritage Portfolio Committee (EDTH) meeting.
The project is a partnership between the Grahamstown Foundation, Makana Municipality and Makana Tourism and aims to promote Grahamstown and the broader region both nationally and internationally.
Wolff said she recently attended the Tourism Indaba in Durban. “It was a wonderful opportunity to meet a wide range of people,” she said.
As a group effort between MEP, the municipality and Makana Tourism, they spoke to as many people as possible about the Makana area and all the fantastic activities, festivals and touring prospects available here.
She said that, at the moment, the Monument has the only public ablution facilities in Grahamstown big enough to cope with a busload of guests.
“The bus drivers and tour guides know this so they have a stop at the Monument. Now with Fynbos coffee shop and information hub, the guests can also refill and gather information.”
In November, Wolff will be attending the World Travel Market in London from 8 to 11 November and will be able to showcase the lifeenhancing experiences of Makana.
“I have every intention of meeting and greeting as many tour operators, service providers and travel agents as possible in order to promote our region,” she said.
Councillor Thandeka Veliti questioned whether the project will expand to the people to benefit from the project.
“As the leaders of this institution, our vision is that our people must benefit, meaning that there must be some job opportunities.
If it’s not job opportunities it means then it must be some opening up of some bursaries for the people to study so they can follow the trend.
Because if you are looking at the development skills in our area, they are so scarce,” she said. Wolff said this is one of the aspects the project would like to focus on.
She said that Grahamstown experiences too much fluctuation in terms of employment between the different festivals.
Veliti then queried whether the project is planning a mini indaba or conference to educate people on what edutourism is about.
“One of the things we would like to do is exactly have a mini expo or indaba so that people can see what we are doing,” Wolf said.
She said the project is in its early stages, but they are looking at the end of the year or very early next year to showcase what they are doing and to involve the community.
Wells said she would like to see two of their major cultural projects the Egazini Memorial Precinct and the revitalisation of the Dakawa Arts Centre being included in the project.
The director of Local Economic Development, Riana Meiring informed the committee that the project is at its first milestone in getting the project off the ground which involved “getting the staff and organisation running, the website and branding and now it is the packaging of edutourism products”.
