Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism(NMBT) is pleased to report positive results that followed the purpose driven initiatives ahead of the summer season to sustain tourism numbers. Income generated through the tourism sector for Nelson Mandela Bay during December 2017 included direct and indirect spend currently reflects an amount of R 1 201 438 240, and of that direct spend derived is R400 479 413.
Editor: Compare the above numbers with the economic impact from the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Cape Town which generated over R500 Million as an economic impact PLUS 35 000 bed nights – the nature of the event guarantees that visitors, employees, competitors and stakeholders spend far more than one night in the city.
Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism CEO, Ms Mandlakazi Skefile advised, “One of the strategies for summer and the foreseeable future is aimed at extending the length of stay for visitors to Nelson Mandela Bay. To achieve extended stays, tourists must have a reason to extend their vacations through visiting attractions, events and activities. Therefore, a concerted effort was implemented ahead of summer to support the launch of a variety of new products and events in the city which successfully added to the number of bednights sold.”
New products to experience in Nelson Mandela Bay over and above existing attractions, beaches and natural heritage sites include Segway beachfront tours, Fat Bike beach rides, Valley Crag wall climbing and a variety of eateries to name a few. Entertaining and exciting annual events from the summer season festivities included the Opening of the season fireworks combined with live stage performances, music concerts in Happy Valley and the Tramways building followed by a variety of new year’s celebrations.
The return of the Apple Express train proved to be a highlight among locals and visitor’s with sold out trips. The revamp of the Campanile also proved to re-ignite interest in an attraction that has is globally renowned. As a popular coastal and wildlife destination, many visitor’s flocked to local beaches and game reserves such as Addo Elephant National Park.
The Top 5 Nelson Mandela Bay Pass activities frequented during December included Adrenalin Addo Zipline, Heavenly stables horseback riding, Sundays River Ferry excursions, free 30-minute Segway tours and the Gravity Indoor Trampoline Park.
The accommodation facilities in the destination, provisionally reflect an average bednight occupancy for the high season at 68,78%. A total of 343 685 bednights were sold, the length of stay averaged 4,1 days, generating a total income of R185 156 663 versus R183 795 999,17 during 2016 for the accommodation sector.
Research shows the top 5 domestic visitors travelled from Gauteng (48,12%); Western Cape; Eastern Cape; Free State and Northern Cape. The Top 10 international visitors travelled from Germany (30%); Brazil; United Kingdom; United States; Zimbabwe; Australia; Romania; Canada and then Netherlands.
Alan Straton
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