Ectour members dominated the annual Adventure Province Tourism and Conservation Awards held on March 24, 2011 at the ICC in East London. The awards recognize outstanding tourism products and establishments who have made an exceptional contribution to Eastern Cape tourism and conservation by furthering the industry’s diversity and excellence.
“We are extremely proud of our members and their fantastic contributions to tourism in the Eastern Cape,” says Ectour Chairperson, Anleen Louw. Ectour is the private sector group marketing organization for the Eastern Cape. It currently boasts membership of over 150 tourism products in the province.
The Areena Riverside Resort in East London was a winner in two categories including “Best Adventure Tourism Accommodation” and “Best Caravan Park and Campsite”.
“Our adventure village is perfectly suited to corporate teambuilding,” says owner Ed Rathbone. “It includes an obstacle course, abseiling, game viewing, quad bike trails, archery, pellet gun target shooting and paintball.” The resort also has its own trained facilitators to plan and supervise activities according to corporate needs and requirements.
The Coffee Shack in Coffee Bay won “Best Backpackers / hostel” and two other Ectour members, the Tsitsikamma Backpackers and Tub n Axe were both runners up in this category. The Coffee Shack offers guests a little bit of everything that is African – from traditional meals at local villages with “mqombothi” beer and dancing to drum making workshops, abseiling and waterfall swimming. Located on the beach at the Bomvu River mouth, the backpackers has become an integral part of the local community.
“Every Friday night, a different local village will host our guests for a traditional Xhosa evening which includes dinner, singing, dancing and traditional “mqombothi” beer,” says Belinda Malherbe.
The Fernery Lodge and Chalets situated in Storms River won Best Hotel / Boutique hotel. “After 10 years of dedicated hard work, it is wonderful for the staff, and us, to be recognised in this way,” says owner, Frans Gerber. This is the second prestigious award for the hotel so far this year. In February, The Fernery achieved a sliver award for the GreenLine programme, a leading South African eco-grading company which recognizes the achievements of tourism products that actively make a difference to their carbon footprint.
Storms River Adventures came out tops for the Best Tourism Attraction Initiative. “The award encapsulates the efforts of the entire dedicated team and all who contribute meaningfully and with passion for what they are doing,” says Stormsriver Adventures CEO Ashley Wentworth. “Dedication to ongoing training and development is a key factor in constantly delivering a professional informative experience.”
The Stormsriver Village Information Centre also won in its category, serving as a testament of the excellent service that the centre offers visitors, ensuring that they enjoy a memorable stay in the area.
Other Ectour members achieved a top three position in their categories including the Buccaneers Lodge and Backpackers in Chintsa for the Caravan Park and Campsite category and the Tsitsikamma Lodge which was a runner up in the category for Best Hotel / Boutique hotel.
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