SPECIAL FEATURE Tourism
SPECIAL FEATURE Tourism and events The adventure province is attracting many local thrill-seekers. Image: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium In June 2010 the world came to the Eastern Cape. Greece, South Korea, Germany, Uruguay, the Netherlands and Brazil and several other soccer teams from all over the world descended on Port Elizabeth. What made it possible for Port Elizabeth to host eight matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the building of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (pictured). In the decade that has passed since then, rugby test matches and international rugby tournaments have been played there and the stadium and stadium precinct have become popular as sites for events, music concerts and product launches. Built on the site of the Prince Alfred Park, the 42 000-seater stadium is quite rare in being between two bodies of water, the North End Lake and the Indian Ocean. Prince Alfred Park was one of three large city parks built in the second half of the 19th century. St George’s Park, in the centre of town, is famous for hosting South Africa’s first cricket test match in 1889. In 2017 the ground was again THE EASTERN CAPE’S UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION · Birth and burial place of Nelson Mandela · 800km of pristine coastline · Home of the Big 7 · Highest commercial bungy jump in the world · Home to four national parks · Home to the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site · Offers five of SA’s seven biomes · Home of authentic Xhosa culture EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020 10
Images: ECPTA YOURS TO EXPLORE The Eastern Cape uniquely caters to the whims of sun worshippers looking to bask in the regular sunshine, adventure-seekers looking for a thrill, nature-lovers looking to discover numerous wildlife, birdlife and plant species, as well as a solace for those looking to shut out the hassles of everyday life. Everyone is able to find something that suits their needs here, from rugged beauty, a pristine coastline, premier surfing, virgin bush and subtropical forests that exist as though untouched by time, this province is truly every explorer’s dream. a boundary-breaker when South Africa hosted Zimbabwe for the first-ever day-night test match. The innovative lighting system deployed for the match will also allow for greater flexibility in lighting music concerts with lighting programmes that can be tuned to musicians’ needs. The FIFA World Cup created a surge in the number of foreign visitors to the country. The Eastern Cape hosted 260 000 foreign visitors in that year. However, studies show that the province is not attracting as many foreign tourists as rival provinces. This is somewhat offset by findings that when foreign tourists do visit the Eastern Cape, they tend to stay for longer than they do when visiting most other provinces. An SA Tourism fact sheet in 2018 gave a figure of 16 nights as an average stay. With regard to domestic tourism, the Eastern Cape’s 12.1% share of the pie is fairly close to the leader (17.2%) and it’s easy to see why. Unmatched beaches, the pristine Wild Coast and a wide variety of national parks and private game reserves make for a superb natural offering. Branding the province as the “Adventure Province” has helped in attracting bungy-jumpers, divers, abseilers and rock climbers. ICONIC EASTERN CAPE DESTINATIONS AND LOCATIONS · Valley of Desolation · Qunu: Birth and burial place of Nelson Mandela · Jeffreys Bay Supertubes: World-renowned surfing hotspot · Addo Elephant National Park: Home to the Big 7 · Bloukrans Bridge: Highest commercial bungy jump in the world · Hole in the Wall, Coffee Bay, Wild Coast · Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site · Garden Route, Camdeboo, Mountain Zebra and Addo National Parks · Campanile in Port Elizabeth · Donkin Reserve · Naude’s Neck Pass · Waterfall Bluff, Wild Coast · Big Pineapple: Bathurst · Owl House: Nieu Bethesda · Steve Biko Museum, King Williams Town · Nelson Mandela Museum, Mthatha · Adam’s Krantz viewpoint, Great Fish River Nature Reserve · Shark Rock Pier, Hobie Beach, Port Elizabeth · Tsitsikamma Adventure Region · Wild Coast · The Karoo Heartland 11 EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020
