Entries open for Lilizela awards
ENTRIES have opened
for the 2014 Lilizela
Tourism Awards.
The nine awards are
spread over four focus
areas: service excellence,
entrepreneurship,
sustainable development and
the Minister’s Award. Entries
close on May 30 and the
overall winners from each
category will be announced
at a ceremony in September.
In the service excellence
section, in addition to
accommodation, awards will
also be given this year in the
categories ‘Visitor experience
of the year’ and ‘Tourist
guide of the year’. The ETEYA
Lilizela Award (Emerging
Tourism Entrepreneur of the
Year Award) will be given for
entrepreneurship, recognising
black-owned SMMEs that
have achieved notable
success since starting up.
SAT helps boost local tourism
SA TOURISM is working with
its trade partners to promote
tourism throughout the
country’s provinces through its
Shot’ Left campaigns.
Gauteng, in particular, is a
promoter of domestic tourism
and through Shot’Left Jozi,
SAT and Gauteng Tourism
Authority are hoping to
encourage Gauteng residents
to explore and travel within
the province.
Their efforts resulted in
the SA Tourism Provincial
Roadshow, which took place
recently in Gauteng, with
locals invited to put on their
walking shoes and experience
Jozi’s urban vibe. The itinerary
for the roadshow was based
on the soon-to-be-released
Gauteng-themed route maps
– a series of culture, heritage
and tourism maps that have
been put together to celebrate
the heritage of Gauteng.
Kruger restaurant closures
SANParks has revised the
opening dates of a number
of restaurants within Kruger
National Park.
SANParks announced
last year that it would
close some restaurants
temporarily for renovations
in preparation for the new
operators who will take over
the restaurants from March.
The revised schedule of
planned opening dates is
outlined below:
Lower Sabie: March 13-20
Satara: April 14-21
Pretoriuskop: April 10-17
During refurbishment, a
‘bush kitchen’ will offer a
limited menu at Satara,
while boerewors rolls
and pap and wors will be
offered at the shop at
Pretoriuskop.
Ezemvelo suspends increase in park fees
THE expected increase
in conservation fees that
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
had announced for tour
operators has been
postponed until
November 1 this year.
After a meeting between
the Southern Africa Tourism
Services Association
(SATSA), the Tourism
Business Council of South
Africa (TBCSA) and the ceo
of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife,
Dr Bandile Mkhize, the
decision was taken to
suspend the increase.
On November 1 the
entrance fees will go up
by 20%. Increments for
the years following will be
phased in once negotiated
with the private sector, using
the structures proposed in
the meeting.
Food Routes offers dining in style
THE recently launched
Food Routes platform is
an interactive website that
showcases unique and
diverse culinary destinations
in SA. It allows foodies to
plan their food adventures
and accommodation
experiences with ease.
“Food Routes is not just
another booking portal. It
is an exclusive expressway
to an amazing array of wine
and food adventures across
the country and if you are
always seeking unsurpassed
gastronomic encounters and
mouth-watering excursions
during your travels, then
Food Routes is your perfect
culinary conductor,” says
co-founder, Riaan Kruger.
FoodRoutes has also
launched Culinary Sensibility
Identities, which compares
and matches a user’s
unique culinary personality
prole to compatible
destinations. It has also
identied a selection
of exceptional dining
experiences for travellers
to enjoy.
Travellers can access the
platform by visiting www.
foodroutes.co.za.
