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2 Apr 2012

In December last year, on behalf of the Western Cape Government, I announced our intention to create the function of tourism destination marketing within Wesgro, the Western Cape's trade and investment promotion agency.

This was a joint decision between me and the boards of Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) and Wesgro, after both agencies agreed that incorporating trade, investment and tourism marketing under one roof would bring greater efficiency in these strained economic times. It would also ensure coordination of the Western Cape Government's outward facing marketing initiatives.

On the 1 April, Wesgro will become the single economic development delivery agency of the Western Cape Government, and its official implementing agency. Our financial and personnel resources will be combined to drive a far more aggressive international marketing campaign with a unified brand focused on business and tourism. In addition, our research capabilities will be combined to gain more efficient and real time market data which will drive our understanding of the global economy and positively impact our action plans and delivery.

This move has necessitated the winding down of CTRU.

The Board of CTRU will continue as the oversight and legislative body governing the legal mandate of CTRU and the functions of fulfilling the delivery mechanisms for the entity until such time as the Western Cape Tourism Act (Act 1 of 2004) is repealed. The CTRU Board has entered into a Service Level Agreement with Wesgro to ensure that delivery of the CTRU functions is properly executed.

As part of this transition, the permanent staff of CTRU will be absorbed into Wesgro to ensure continuity of functional delivery within Wesgro.

On behalf of the provincial government, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Boards of CTRU and Wesgro, as well as to the CEO's of the respective agencies for their commitment to ensuring a smooth transition. I would like to thank Mr Peter Bacon, outgoing chairman of CTRU, for the work he has done, and for his dedication and commitment. I would also like to welcome the new chairman, Mr Deon Cloete, who brings with him vast experience in this industry.

Mr Calvyn Gilfellan, Chief Executive Officer, will leave CTRU on 31 March 2012 and we, together with the Board of CTRU, would like to use this opportunity to thank him for the contribution he has made to the tourism industry in the Western Cape and in South Africa. We wish him well in his future endeavours.

I would like to assure all stakeholders and partners in the tourism industry that with this move, they can expect even better tourism destination marketing programmes and support. Tourism accounts for 10% of this province's GDP, making it very serious business. This move will allow us to give this industry the attention it deserves.

Issued by: Western Cape Economic Development and Tourism
2 Apr 2012

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