Thabazimbi hosts Local Tourism Indaba Workshop – Thabazimbi gasheer vir plaaslike Toerisme Indaba Werkwinkel

Rol af vir Afrikaans

Thabazimbi Local Municipality, the business sector and delegates from the community gathered at a Tourism Indaba Workshop held at Marakele on Thursday, 12 October 2017.

The workshop sought to provide a baseline strategic framework from which a local tourism strategy and action plan could be developed. Such a plan intends to drive an inclusive vision which will be Government enabled, private sector driven and community owned.

According to the Thabazimbi Tourism Organising Committee (TIOC) the strategy will also prioritise and promote prominent tourism segments while finding ways to unearth the potential of those which are underdeveloped.

An outcome of the workshop was also to put forward measures to improve the local Tourism Centre’s utilisation and introduce an economic model to sustain local tourism in keeping with the imperatives of the municipality’s integrated development plan.

The workshop generated much needed discussions and vast inputs regarding attraction and retention of potential tourists as well as interconnected marketing and promotion of local tourism.

Consideration was also given to the need for investment in our tourism infrastructure in order to facilitate for seamless, top class tourist experiences. The passion to grow tourism sustainably within approved best practices, with the inclusion and beneficiation of HDSA’s, could be clearly felt.

The Mayor of Thabazimbi Local Municipality – Honourable Midah Moselane, had to attend a meeting with the Provincial Government in Polokwane, but succeeded to join the discussion groups and gave her support to this initiative as co representative of Thabazimbi Local Municipality with the newly appointed Municipal Manager, George Ramogaga, as well as the main whip, councillor Piet Strydom.

Data collected at the workshop will be used to identify common patterns across tourism segments, prioritise, develop, fund, market and inform the strategic thrust of the Thabazimbi Tourism Centre Board.

Once Thabazimbi Local Council approves the strategy an indaba will be convened to present it to the public for adoption.

Issued by: Thabazimbi Tourism Indaba Organising Committee

Thabazimbi gasheer vir plaaslike Toerisme Indaba Werkwinkel

Toerisme kan ‘n kragtige invloed op die plaaslike ekonomie hê, indien reg aangewend, as ‘n toevoeging tot ekonomiese groei vir Thabazimbi en omgewing, was seker die belangrikste bevinding van die Toerisme Indaba Werkwinkel wat by Marakele gister, 12 Oktober, plaasgevind het.

Die werkwinkel het as uitgangpunt gedraai om ‘n basis te skep vir ‘n strategiese raamwerk waardeur die plaaslike toerisme-inisiatiewe betrek kon word in die daarstelling van die ontwikkeling van ‘n aksieplan. Hierdie beoogde plan, met dryfveer die inklusiewe betrokkenheid deur die regering, beplan die samewerking van die private sektor asook die gemeenskap waarin dit beoog word.

Volgens die Thabazimbi Toerisme Organisasie Komitee (TIOC- Thabazimbi Tourism Organising Committee), sal hierdie strategie die prominente segmente bemagtig om die onontwikkelde-potensiaal ten volle te ontwikkel.

Nog ‘n positiewe uitvloeisel is die daarstelling van maniere om die plaaslike Toerisme Sentrum te bevorder en as ‘n ekonomiese model voor te lê vir die ondersteuning van plaaslike toerisme om tred te hou met die Thabazimbi Munisipaliteit se geïntigreerde ontwikkelingsplan.

Daar is ook aandag verleen aan die behoefte aan beleggings in die plaaslike toerisme infrastruktuur om topgehalte toerisme fasiliteite aan die toeriste te bied.

Sinvolle samewerking, toerisme as industrie kan ‘n groot segment van die gemeenskap getransformeer en is nou in die hande van Thabazimbi se gemeenskap om hierdie voordeel na die wyer gemeenskap uit te brei. Indien dit reg gedoen word sal dit ‘n beter lewe vir die totale gemeenskap beteken, ‘n erfenis wat nie versmaai kan word nie.

Die agbare burgemeester, raadslid Midah Moselane, was dringend opgeroep om ‘n vergadering van die provinsiale administrasie in Polokwane by te woon. Sy het egter kort na die middag-ete resessie haar by die Indaba aangesluit om saam met die nuut aangestelde Munisipale Bestuurder, George Ramogaga asook die hoofsweep, raadslid Piet Strydom, hulle volle steun aan die insette gelewer tydens die toerisme Indaba te gee.

Die data wat tydens die werkwinkel ingesamel word sal aangewend word om die gemeenskaplike segmente regdeur die toerisme bedryf te identifiseer, prioriseer, befonds en bemark deur die Thabazimbi Toerisme Sentrum.

Indien hierdie beginsels deur die Thabazimbi Plaaslike Raad goedgekeur word, sal ‘n volgende Indaba gehou word om dit aan die gemeenskap voor te lê.

Mediaverklaring uitgereik deur die Thabazimbi Toerisme Indaba Organiserende Komitee.