While Nelson Mandela Bay has officially been declared a
hotspot amid a sharp increase of Covid-19 infections, the province is still
open for tourism this festive season, with a new campaign to highlight its many
attractions recently launched.
“Nature is calling, have an entanglement with nature,” was
the message of the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency CEO Vuyani Dayimani,
at the launch of the Summer Season campaign held in Coffee Bay.
He encouraged tourists to enjoy the province’s wide-open
spaces and nature reserves after a difficult year.
“We have gone through a lot
for the best part of the year, so nature provides us with that opportunity to
reflect and be able to be grateful for being alive.”
Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared Nelson
Mandela Bay metro a hotspot, and instituted curfews, restricted alcohol sales
and new rules for religious gatherings and funerals vigils.
Speaking at the event, Eastern Cape MEC of finance and
economic development Mlungisi Mvoko said that tourism continues to be one of
the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but that there has been
some recovery in business since September.
“This brings hope that the festive season will assist to
lift the sector. In trying to support this increase the Eastern Cape government and private
sector have been collaborating and endorsing protocols and common standards to
ensure the wellbeing of the sector workforce and that of the travellers as the
sector transitions into the ‘new normal’,” said Mvoko.
“Tourism has traditionally been built upon history,
location, luxury affordability,” chairperson of the Wild Coast Holiday
Association William Ross said. “We now have an opportunity to change these old
perceptions to what makes us unique, and that is unforgettable experiences and
stories.”
SOURCE: Business
Insider SA
