What is Culinary Tourism?

A recent survey of international travel by the World Tourism Organisation revealed that in 2007 more than 903 million international tourists travelled worldwide and they spent a staggering 8.6 trillion Rands. To put this number in perspective, it is five times the total GDP of South Africa. So there is little dispute that tourism is a huge factor in the global economy and ultimately has a direct positive impact on the economies of smaller communities such as Prince Albert. A growing feature of the travel market is culinary tourism. The Friend asked our own Jeremy Freemantle to give our readers an idea of what this means for our town.

The generic definition of tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organisation defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited".

Culinary Tourism is valued by tourism industry professionals as one of the most popular niches in the world's tourism industry. This makes sense, given recent consumer focus on healthy and organic eating, culinary/food pedigrees, and the simple fact that all travellers must eat. Not every visitor goes shopping or visits museums, but all travellers eat. According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, culinary tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences and is considered a subset of cultural tourism (cuisine is a manifestation of culture). Culinary tourism is about what is "unique and memorable, not what is necessarily pretentious and exclusive".

The international boom in food related TV and the rise of the celebrity chef have brought about a new consciousness regarding food and cooking. There is a growing appreciation of the need to protect the environment by eating local and seasonal produce and thus reducing the carbon footprint of food production, eating healthily is very much a new lifestyle choice and there is a growing fascination for and a desire to learn about different food cultures. The recreational cook is a new persona, who has emerged from the dark recesses of culinary oppression and stereotypes, where women cooked, men ate and children pushed their Brussel sprouts around the plate desperately trying to hide them. The new society is much more enlightened with men moving into the kitchen a lot more, creating innovative food and shedding the label of braai master. Women are braaiing masterfully and children are still looking to hide those Brussels sprouts. Cooking is a necessity and whereas for some it has always been a drudge, it can be fun, relaxing and an expression of creativity and innovation. Gone are the days when the kitchen was just a room at the other end of the house, it is now the core and social hub of the home.

The culture of any community is deeply rooted in their food, how they prepare it, and when they eat it. Every culture has its own unique traditions, customs and methods of preparation, cultivation and consumption and there is a rich and fascinating history attached to the cuisines of the world, their evolvement and significance in societies. It is this that culinary travellers seek to learn more about and to experience. The sharing of food and hospitality is a universal indicator of friendship and what better way to learn about a foreign culture than through food and culinary customs. Prince Albert is certainly rich in this regard and there is no doubt that visitors are all the richer for having enjoyed what this town has to offer.

Tourism EXCO Re-elected

- Linda Jaquet -

The Prince Albert Tourism Association’s AGM held on 30 July saw members re-elect the 2007/8 Executive Committee (EXCO) for a second year.

Chairperson Bokkie Botha expressed his appreciation for their confidence in the EXCO and said that continuity was essential if the Committee was to achieve the objectives it had set itself at the start of its term.

These included being more member-centred, encouraging all potential members to join the Association and developing sustainable tourism ventures in all sectors of the community.
The other EXCO members are Charles Roux (Vice Chairperson and Marketing), Di Steyn (Development), Mark Steyn (Finances), Mariette van Schalkwyk (Leeu-Gamka) and Jeremy Witts-Hewinson (Klaarstroom).

In his Chairman’s report, Bokkie Botha noted that the Association’s membership had increased over the year from 77 to 89 members and also outlined a subsidised membership plan for the previously disadvantaged active in the tourism sector.

The Municipality had significantly increased its funding for the Tourism Association thanks to the efforts of the former EXCO and information desks were planned for Leeu-Gamka and Klaarstroom.

During the discussion of the Chair’s report, those present expressed dismay at the poor turnout of members at the meeting – 17, including the EXCO members and two Tourism officials – and wondered whether it reflected the lack of seriousness accorded tourism generally in spite of the vital role it plays in the town’s economy.

The EXCO undertook to conduct a survey of the employment and skills development opportunities the tourism sector offers local residents. It would also look seriously this year at participating at INDABA 2009 in Durban in an effort to market Prince Albert more widely in South Africa and abroad.

A Warm Welcome!

- Zelia Mullins -

On one of the very warm days during December, Zelia Mullins & Chantelle Freysen, Prince Albert’s Tourism Officers, assisted by the Prince Albert Police and local school children from Hoërskool Zwartberg, hosted a “welcome campaign”.

A road-block was set-up next to Albert’s Mill, alongside the gurgling “leiwater sloot” and under the trees that provided much-needed shade.

It wasn’t long before the first motorist arrived! Then it was time for action – the motorists were pulled off the road by our friendly police officers and then the welcome began.

Zelia and Chantelle handed out Prince Albert promotional material, the December issue of the Prince Albert Friend, a “goodies” bag filled with sponsored local products, fresh fruit and ice cold cool drinks.

The facial expressions of the various motorists and passengers were priceless – first the shock, disbelief and disappointment of being pulled off the road by the police. This was soon followed by utter surprise, relief and then once again, disbelief and even wariness (especially from overseas visitors) that instead of being handed a traffic fine they were given free cool drinks, a “goodies” bag and a big welcoming SMILE!

A few locals decided to disguise themselves as visitors, but to no avail. All they got was the big SMILE!

The campaign was well received by visitors and one German tourist even remarked that he was going to suggest to his local police office back home that they should try something like this.

We handed out a total of 80 “goodie” bags during the course of the day, which means that 80 vehicles were stopped and at least 160 visitors were welcomed to our town. The response and appreciation has been totally overwhelming. A big thank you to all our sponsors who made this campaign possible, hopefully we can do it again this year.

Tourism Officials Committed to Service Excellence

-Zelia Mullins-

Chantelle and I recently attended a two-day SA Host Customer Care Workshop held at Ko-Ka Tsara Bush Camp just north of Beaufort West. We found the workshop to be informative, well presented and most beneficial. But what exactly is SA Host and why is it applicable to Prince Albert?

SA Host is a National project aimed at improving service standards throughout South Africa and is funded by both government and the private sector. In South Africa, we are faced with many of the same problems encountered elsewhere, namely – a generally low standard of service quality, and an indifferent attitude towards visitors.

Although initiated by the tourism industry, SA Host is applicable to every organisation that has customers. Let’s face it – if you don’t have customers you are not in business, whatever that business may be. SA host aims to change the culture of all organisations so that they become customer driven. That way South Africans as well as visitors will begin to receive excellent service, and the quality of life will improve for all of us. Imagine if you were treated as an important partner in every business and government department that you dealt with – every time!

If you are not working for an organisation designated as part of the tourism industry, you may wonder what a programme involving tourism has to do with you. Most of us think of visitors as just people who come to South Africa on holiday, who invade our local attractions and are sometimes a nuisance. In fact, visitors include business people who may be looking to invest in our country. They may be from outside the country or from other communities in South Africa. They may stay for a few days, or work here for a few years. Visitors to a community impact directly on that area’s economy because they spend money there. Local visitors help to circulate money throughout the country (so don’t get irritated the next time you see those GP number plates filling up all the parking spaces in town), whilst foreign visitors bring in new money and add to the general wealth of businesses, communities and South Africa as a whole.

Every visitor takes away with them an impression of our home, our country and the community in which we live. They spread the word in their own countries about their impressions of South Africa. The people they encounter on their trip create these impressions. Long after they have forgotten about their trip over the Swartberg Pass and through Meiringspoort, visitors remember the people they met.

We want people to leave with a good impression. We want them to come back, stay longer and spend more money here – to help us create jobs and improve our economy. Each of us plays and important role and we are all personally responsible for the environment, in which we live and work.

Chantelle and I now proudly sport SA Host lapel pins which identify us as SA Hosts and as individuals who have made a commitment to provide excellent service and hospitality.

“What do Tourists Really Want?”

- Sue and Richard Dean -

This was the question Caroline Gelderblom was able to answer when she addressed the Gourtiz Initiative meeting in Oudtshoorn on 20 June this year. Her answers were based on surveys with tourists and tourism service providers in and around Oudtshoorn in winter and summer last year and will help the industry recognise gaps in service provision and identify new market opportunities. Most tourists (80%) to the Little Karoo are South Africans (60% Afrikaans speaking). Foreign tourists are mainly from the UK, Germany and Holland.

Tourists ranked natural beauty, peace and the friendliness of local people highest in selecting the Oudtshoorn area for their vacation, whereas golf, hunting and quad bikes were among the lowest ranked attractions. Most preferred mountains to vlaktes, nature to cultivated lands and villages to cities.

Gravel roads did not discourage tourists from visiting rural parts of the Karoo. With the exception of the Kunstefees visitors, most tourists said that they preferred gravel to tarred roads, provided that they are well maintained and signposted.

What tourists do enjoy is the “niks”, the wide open spaces, mountainous landscape, birds and wildlife, but few notice the plants. Perhaps this reflects how we are marketing our destination? Both the Little Karoo and the Prince Albert area just inland of the Swartberg have an extraordinary variety of succulent plants (vygies, plakkies, melkbosse, nenta, ghaap), many of which are found nowhere else in the world. For example, Bijlia dilitata (Prince Albert vygie) is found near our village and nowhere else on the planet!

A tourism marketing survey in the Oudtshoorn area showed that ostriches are mentioned more often than is warranted by the tourist interest. So were sunny skies – especially as many tourists said that they did not visit for the weather, which was either too hot or too cold! Only 7% of tourist pamphlets mentioned the extraordinary succulent plants of the area, and only 1% of pamphlets mentioned that some of these were found nowhere else in the world. Development and marketing of tourism activities focussed on natural assets, including plants, geology and fossils, could open new opportunities for tourism service providers in our village.

Tourists to Oudtshoorn complained about begging children, poor municipal services and unsightly large signboards. Despite challenges of this kind, new and appropriate tourism activities together with skills training opportunities offered by government, present great opportunities for Little Karoo tourism development.

This is true for Prince Albert as well. So let’s use our plants, friendly people, spectacular landscapes and available training opportunities to develop a sustainable, cultural and nature-based tourism industry for our village.

Let’s not offer our tourists casinos, trail-bikes, bill-boards when they are looking for natural beauty and peace of mind that are missing from city life. If we get this right, we will all benefit.

Tourism Exco and Bureau Management create a Miracle

- George Peters, Chairperson of the Tourism EXCO, requested that this report be published in the Friend in advance of the Prince Albert Tourism Association AGM. -

Starting the 2006/2007 financial year with a major deficit and a projected shortage of R95,000 for the year on budget, inclusive of the municipal grant, this team through diligent financial controls and hard work through trying times not made easy by artificially forced encounters of the third kind, always lurking from its lair, can be proud to announce that they have turned the financial tide to end up with a near breakeven.

At the beginning of March 2007 it seemed as if the breakeven goal could not be reached and the projected cash flow for May/June indicated a continuous red line. Silent prayers were said to encourage a miracle to happen, then sharp thinking, supported by Zelia and Chantelle, offering extended office hours which pleased our visitors and enriched accommodation members, turned the situation. The curved ball that we received in July 2006 as total rookies was smashed for a home run! What an achievement!

George Peters and his team, through strong and dedicated leadership are certainly placing an irrevocable stamp onto tourism in Prince Albert, setting the stage for a long and positive growth in this difficult market.

Establishing from the onset satellite bureaus in North End/ Klaarstroom and Leeu-Gamka, indicating the direction that they wish to take tourism and creating the opportunity for the wider community to participate in mainstream tourism, was another winner.

This year the Municipal Council has seen it fit to accept the PATA 2007/2008 Budget and will allocate R200,000 (up from R56,000) to operate these offices (x 4) which will allow the Membership Fees to be totally dedicated to Destination Marketing.

The Creative think-tank of JJ Jonkers ( District Mun.) and George Peters with lots of ideas from Dick Billet and Charles Roux, with a good measure contributed by Astro Tours (Hans Deahne), and the total support from the Exco will ensure the creation of a fair number of ongoing job opportunities in the short term.

· Daily shuttle Passenger Service between Prince Albert and George Airport
· In season passenger service to and from Gamkaskloof/Weltevrede Valley and Gamka Dam
· New 4 x 4 route connecting Prince Albert with Klaarstroom with possible Parasailing and
· Hang gliding on route
· Upgrading and the continuous monitoring of existing Swartberg Hiking Routes
· New Hiking Trails stretching from Nelspoort to Laingsburg via the Swartberg and Prince Albert
· with permanent overnight tented bush camps
· Shuttles to existing Geological and Anthropology sites (Judy McGuire)
· Township Tours
· Accredited Local Guide Training
· Hiking Routes from Klaarstroom
· Tourism upgrading at Leeu-Gamka
· The Extreme Karoo Multi-discipline Challenge
· New Town Observatory
· Marketing…Marketing…Marketing!

Well done to George, Dick, Steff and Christine. Well done Zelia and Chantelle

Prince Albert bly in die nuus

-Denise Ohlson-

Koerante en tydskrifte staan nie sommer plek af aan alledaagse dinge nie. Pitkos is wat hulle soek. En hier in Prince Albert pik joernaliste al meer waardevolle pitte op vir hul lesers.

BY
Die uitstalling van David Goldblatt se foto’s by die Prince Albert Gallery het die aandag getrek van BY, Die Burger se uiters gewilde Saterdagbylaag. Die artikel lewer insiggewende sosiale en politieke kommentaar op die 17 foto’s, geneem in die Gamkaskloof van die sestigerjare. Gaan kyk gerus na hierdie beroemde fotograaf se uitstalling.

Mail & Guardian
Bekyk dan sommer ook die werk van Richard John Forbes, Derek McKenzie en George Coutouvidis - wat saam met Goldblatt in die Mail & Gardian se “On Circuit” blad beskryf word as kunstenaars wat bydra tot “the most important critical visual commentary on historical and contemporary South Africa”. In hierdie uitgawe van 12 tot 18 Januarie 2007 word ons dorp beskryf as “becoming a destination for art aficionados” (kunsliefhebbers). Forbes se etse “are a series of fantastical universes where stars and planets and other heavenly bodies seem to give an indication of the organized and systemic chaos that has given rise to life as we know it”.
McKenzie herhaal graffiti op film en vra:

Ape ken reeds 1000
woorde in gebaretaal
Hoeveel woorde ken jy?

Garden and Home
Die Februarie 2007 Garden and Home staan twee volkleurblaaie af aan die wonderlike volstruiseierdopwerk wat Gideon Engelbreght onder sy hande laat vorm aanneem en wat te sien is by De Wakis by die Seven Arches.

House and Leisure
Tanya Sturgeon se huis in Markstraat pryk in ‘n pragtige fotoartikel in die Desember 2006 uitgawe van House and Leisure.. Hierdie stylvolle Gautenger sê: “Prince Albert is my sanctuary and a love affair. The remoteness and lack of commercialism inspires me … I am so glad I bought this house. Even when I am not here it is a haven for my mind to escape to.”

Village Life
Helena Marincowitz se boek Karoostyle het skaars verskyn, of Village Life eer haar en haar navorsingswerk in hul Des/Jan uitgawe in ‘n glansartikel wat oor vyf volkleurblaaie strek. Maré Mouton sluit sy insiggewende en waarderende artikel só af: “The fact that so many Karoostyle houses have survived for over a hundred years, is a tribute to the skill of their builders, and Helena Marincowotz has done valuable work in documenting what is left.”

Lydia Barrella se waardevolle kristalle kom ook tot hul volste reg in hierdie tyd-skrif in sewe absoluut verstommende mooi foto’s wat die artikel “Crystals – Order in the world” illustreer.

SABC 2
Hierdie maand het Piet Cordier, Neels en Louisa van der Nest, die Mayers en die mense by die Saterdagmark hul sê ingekry op SABC 2 se “In search of Karoo Mermaids…”!

Prince Albert is ‘n lieflike bestemmingsdorp propvol interessante mense…‘n Goeie produk verkoop homself! Selfs aan die kieskeurige media…

Boost for Prince Albert Tourism

-Linda Jaquet-

The Prince Albert Tourism EXCO
must be given First Prize for its decision at the end of last year to appoint Zelia Mullins to head the Tourism Bureau. Zelia was not only the top performer in her year at Birnam Business College in Johannesburg where she gain-ed her Travel Diploma, but also brings with her a wealth of experience in coordinating many activities for major events like the Rugby World Cup 1995, football’s African Cup of Nations and tours of South Africa by opera superstars, Luciano Pavarotti and Kiri Te Kanawa.

Zelia was born and grew up in Johannesburg. She and her husband, Anthony, who is a farm boy from KwaZulu-Natal and whom she met when they both work-ed for SAA, decided to turn their backs on the corporate world after the birth of their children and have since farmed in different parts of South Africa. The family presently live on the farm, Rosendal, at the foot of the Kredouw Pass.
Zelia, who also speaks Portuguese and understands French, is clearly relishing her involvement in the town’s tourism activities. “I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of my job and have been made to feel so welcome by locals and visitors alike. I really look forward to playing my role in this very special community”, she told the Prince Albert Friend.

Welcome to Prince Albert

-Zelia Mullins-

On 15th December 2006 the Prince Albert Tourism Office hosted a “Welcome to Prince Albert” campaign, which coincided with similar campaigns all over the Western Cape.

In conjunction with the local police, a road-block was arranged in the vicinity of Millers Restaurant on the outskirts of town. Motorists entering town were pulled over onto the side of the road by our friendly police representatives and then the welcome began. Lynette Claassen, Stefné Theunissen and Rouan van Heerden were on hand to welcome visitors to Prince Albert. Free cool drinks, watermelon, the December issue of the Prince Albert Friend and Prince Albert promotional material was handed out.

The campaign was well received by visitors. The Tourism Office would like to run a similar campaign over the Easter Holidays.