SPORT Elizabeth - that's what the Eastern Cape city of Port Elizabeth (PE) wants to be called, as it gears up to reposition itself as the leading world sporting destination in Southern Africa.
So says Tourism PE's watersport co-ordinator, Stanford Slabbert, who told Travel Now that the recent successful hosting of several world championship events has "gone a long way to put PE on the world sports tourism map".
"The hosting of the Dart Catamaran World Championships in December drew over 500 international guests to the city and netted R2,5m in tourism revenue for the city," relates Slabbert.
PE's coup in landing the bid to host the second annual Biathle World Championships - a combination sport of running and swimming - in February this year, drew a number of international competitors and their families from eight countries to the "windy city".
"Since the 150 competitors were so enthusiastic about the Happy Valley running course and the good surf (competitors swam in the ocean), I'm positive we'll host the event again in less than three years," says Slabbert.
This year's Vodacom Splash Festival was also reportedly a remarkable success with a record crowd of almost 750 000 people attending it over the recent Easter weekend, topping last year's record attendance by 100 000 people.
Tourism Port Elizabeth director, Shaun van Eck, said that the growth in attendance figures confirmed that the festival was Africa's top watersport and beachfront event, and has called on local businesses to support events planned to raise funds to turn the Splash Festival into an international event.
The Continental Sailing Week, held from April 30 to May 5, will draw 80 boats and 400 crew members from as far afield as Brazil.
The National Cycling Championships, All Africa Archery Championships, World Gymnastics Championships and the World Waveski Championships are a few more of the national and international sports events which will be held in PE over the next two months.
(Adele Mackenzie/Rosemary Wilson)
