City and Province Reach Agreement on Way Forward for Tourism in Western Cape

The City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape met on Monday, 22 June and agreed to jointly develop a sustainable solution to market Cape Town and the Western Cape as a globally competitive tourism destination. The discussions were hosted by the Western Cape Minister for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Mr Alan Winde and the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism, Alderman Felicity Purchase.

Also present at the meeting were the Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) and Cape Town Tourism (CTT). Winde said: "The opportunity to find a lasting solution to manage tourism for destination Cape Town and the Western Cape has never been better. There is a need for all spheres of government to work together so that an environment can be created for business and residents to work in partnership with us. We have given the mandate to the officials to jointly develop a lasting solution for tourism marketing. It is important that the solution is able to withstand changes in political leadership."

Ald Purchase added: "The Fifa 2010 World Cup is around the corner and we should not allow this opportunity to be missed. The City will, in the meantime, continue to use CTT as an interim measure to provide Destination Marketing and Visitor Services. While Council will disburse R36 million to CTT at its meeting on Thursday, 25 June there will be a closer alignment with CTRU to obtain synergy on joint marketing initiatives. Whatever happens after this arrangement will depend on the outcome of the next six months' work".

The timeframe for developing a sustainable model will be nine months and the key focus will be on how to best increase the number of visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape.

Ald Purchase further said: "Both the City and Province agreed that it is important to be open minded about the outcome. It is possible for an entirely different solution to be developed or for the status quo to be maintained. Ultimately, we would like to see government provide an enabling environment for the tourism sector to grow and create more jobs in the economy. It is therefore important for the proposed solution to provide business and other key stakeholders with an opportunity to contribute resources and participate in the decision making".

During the meeting both the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape agreed that the Constitution would provide the guiding foundation for the appropriate solution. Both parties also acknowledged that the proposed solution would inform possible legislative changes that are required for tourism to grow.

Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town