Cape Town Tourism winners offer taste of heritage and adventure

The City’s Mayoral Committee for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos, visited this year’s winners of Cape Town Tourism’s (CTT) Board Development Fund (BDF) which supports small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the tourism sector. Alderman Vos was accompanied by CTT CEO, Enver Duminy. Read more below:

The two winners are iKunjani Travel & Tours and Jeep Tours Cape Town.

iKunjani Travel & Tours is a women-led local tour operator, which provides tours showcasing the rich tapestry and cultural heritage, focussed on cuisine and culture, while Jeep Tours Cape Town specialises in a wide variety of services, including open Jeep off-road tours and sandboarding to experience the beauty and excitement of the Atlantis dunes.

The City has been working closely with Cape Town Tourism (CTT), the official Destination Marketing and Management Organisation, to help the tourism sector weather the Covid-19 pandemic and get back on its feet.

‘Our main focus has been on how best to move from crisis to recovery and readiness. For destinations to succeed, they need to constantly reinvent, while incorporating the uniqueness and authenticity of their products and experiences,’ said Mayoral Committee for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos.

Recipients of the CTT BDF are not only given a cash injection for their business, but also receive specialised mentorship and marketing support from the CTT management team. The programme offers invaluable access to leaders within the tourism industry for select, yet innovative SMMEs who demonstrate a clear vision for their business.

CTT CEO, Enver Duminy, said: ‘The CTT Board Development Fund has always been a programme that I am very passionate about and now, with the year that the tourism industry has had, it’s even more important to be able to provide this type of support to small tourism businesses.

‘Our recent impact report highlights just how badly the sector is struggling at the moment, with over R2 billion lost among our members during what-would-have-been high season for us. So, to be able to continue to offer support in this way and work with the City of Cape Town on plans to help the industry through these trying times, means a great deal not only to us but to tourism businesses across the city, which need the support now more than ever before.’

Alderman Vos said he applauds the CTT board for this important programme, which goes beyond just a cash injection and provides access to knowledge and resources to these future tourism leaders.

‘A few months ago, the City’s Enterprise and Investment Department, and I put together the Tourism Task Team to get the tourism and hospitality industry through these tough times and to focus on the future prospects. This team has now designed the ten-point tourism strategy, to help breathe life back into this vital sector.

‘This ten-point strategy is a multi-pronged approach to help the tourism industry survive in the challenging weeks and months ahead and to also flourish and reclaim its status as a significant driver of employment and economic benefits for our residents,’ said Alderman Vos.