Culture-Heritage a resource to Responsible Tourism

Nombulelo Mkefa

Broader Context of Culture-Heritage Niche

Culture and Heritage Tourism is identified as a major and growing market locally and internationally

17% to 35% of all travel in the world is cultural and heritage motivated

Travellers are becoming more environmentally and socially aware and appreciative of unique heritage destinations and experiences

Broader challenges for Cape Town as a destination to realising its potential

• Socio-economic inequality (Gini coefficient 0.73, USA = 0.45)

• Infrastructure largely private vehicle dependent

• Energy and water insecurity is a problem

• Unemployment levels are high (16.8% officially, 2007)

• Continued urban migration

Cape Town’s unique culture-heritage attraction and resources

CT is well endowed with rich cultural and heritage resources and its attraction as a tourist destination is largely based on its unique environment

Hosts a diversity of cultures, lifestyles, histories, events, places, heritage and environment (human, natural, built, urban and rural)

31% of visitors to the WC and CT participate in cultural and heritage activities

Culture and Heritage Tourism for the Cape Town Destination

Culture-Heritage tourism one of the 5 key tourism niche markets for the Cape Town destination

It forms a cornerstone niche for the Tourism Development Framework

A major focus of the approved Responsible Tourism Policy and Action Plan across of the sustainable pillars – Social, Economic and Environment

The forces driving Responsible Tourism including cultural and heritage awareness

Heightened social awareness and concern of the earth’s crisis – environmentally, socially and economically

Tourism companies and operators adopting and implementing responsible business practices

Tourists demanding RT services and adapting travel behaviours, interests, destinations and services

Implementation of sustainable development/city practices including that of responsible tourism

.. takes care .. takes care of our unique and fragile natural and cultural cultural environmentenvironment

… does no harm to our children, women or communities

..sees Capetonians earning an income for their families, as owners of tourism business, workers in tourism companies, or selling products and services to the tourism industry

.. offers every Capetonian a fair opportunity to be part of the tourism industry

.. provides Capetonians with a say in how tourism affects their lives and opportunities

.. has tourists interacting .. has tourists interacting with Capetonians, with Capetonians, visiting our favourite visiting our favourite local places, and local places, and learning more about who learning more about who we are, what makes us we are, what makes us special and what special and what concerns us.concerns us.

.. is accessible for people with disabilities, and respects everyone’s respects everyone’s cultureculture

Dominant national narratives and the need to develop inclusive stories reflecting the whole story of Cape Town.Embracing diversity and accommodating the complex multi-layered character of the City and its people and placesFacilitating interaction between visitors and local people in ways that offer authentic experiences and insights without compromising the cultural heritage resource. Thinking creatively to enrich the tourism product by working closely with the City’s citizens Deepening the understanding of the past and celebrating the heritage Communicating through appropriate tools, mechanisms and technologies.Overcoming the legacy of an inequitable distribution of resources and attractions , including museums and places of interpretation,Seizing the opportunity to develop appropriate interpretive interventions in areas where these are lacking in the City.

Challenges for Culture-Heritage Tourism

From the Cape Town Declaration 2002:

• Minimises negative economic, environmental, and social impacts

• Generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry

• Involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances

• Makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world's diversity

Greater profile of the CBD as a cultural heritage tourism destination and centre of cultural activities

From the Cape Town Declaration:

• Provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more

meaningful connections with local people, and a greater

understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues

• Provides access for physically challenged people

• Is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and

hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.

““Tourism linking cultures”Tourism linking cultures”

Inclusive development Access

Economic benefit Sustainability Integrated planning

Authenticity environmental impact

Regionalism

Quality Visitor experience

Cape Town’s Culture & Heritage Tourism Strategy Policy principles

Cape Town’s cultural heritage has to do with people - their

lifestyles, customs, traditions and histories – and the places they have built and settled in, and the city they have shaped at the southern-most tip of Africa.

Preamble

Cape Town is a historic and diverse city. It derives its character from its multi-faceted history, dramatic scenic setting, historical townscapes and cultural landscapes; its cultural and heritage diversity and the traditions and memories that arise from its past and give life to it in the present.

Vision

All Capetonians have the right and responsibility to celebrate and care for the city and its heritage, and to communicate its significance to each other, and the world

The Strategy Vision - Putting People First

Cape Town’s Story

Pre-colonial Dutch - British- Dutch - British Rule

Apartheid South Africa

Melding of cultures with

marks/evidence of multiple histories

dispersed throughout city’s landscape

The New South Africa

Robben Island

CBD & environs

Blaauwberg Nature Reserve

Mamre Mission Village

Groote Constantia

& Valley

N2: Langa and

Gugulethu

False Bay Ecology Park

Muizenberg – Simon’s

Town routeA handful of places in the metropole ideal to tell Cape Town’s stories across a timeline

Balancing global and regional qualities

The Cultural and Heritage Tourism Strategy Framework and Action Plan

Prepared to support:The management and development of cultural and heritage

attractions/resources including places, precincts, facilities, buildings, routes, initiatives, events, traditions, interpretation and stories, information, training, and support services, infrastructure, facilities and technology

Broaden Cape Town’s tourism base and offerings and contribute to further economic development and opportunities

Support the development of the destination as a whole and the management of culture and heritage resources on a longer-term basis

Planned and to be implemented in partnership with key stakeholders and role players both external and internal to the CoCT

THANK YOU - DANKIE - ENKOSI

Spatial development of routes, hubs, gateways and information points

Iconic stories – documentation, collation, sharing and making known

A virtual museum for Cape Town

An integrated communication and interpretation plan including a database, signs and interpretation opportunity

The mining, building, analysing and publishing of existing information

The conversion of heritage walks, routes, precincts and place experiences into interactive media

The incorporation of culture-heritage storylines into the media

The building of City awareness through campaigns

Summary of Strategy Areas Proposals

The incorporation and monitoring of cultural heritage collateral in marketing campaigns

Review of existing tourism programmes and the inclusion of culture-heritage

Development of a ‘story telling’ training programme

Fostering of partnerships with a range of organisations

An online ‘tourism and contacts and resources’ kit

Regular dialogue with stakeholders based on facts, customer demand and best practice

Summary of Strategy Areas Proposals

THANK YOUDANKIEENKOSI