COVID-19

MEDIA RELEASE

MEDIA RELEASE:
Contact:
Municipal Manager
Mr TC Ndlovu
mm@plett.gov.za
www.bitou.gov.za
Telephone: 044-501 3000

Acting Manager: Communications and Customer Care
Mr H Swartz
hswartz@plett.gov.za
www.bitou.gov.za
Telephone: 071 990 5118

24 AUGUST 2017

For immediate release

Bitou Local Municipality and Plett Tourism Association maintains a healthy relationship

Bitou Local Municipality has a healthy relationship with Plett Tourism that has been cemented over the past five years and continues to grow despite challenges faced at times.

During this period the Bitou Municipality has been the sole contributor to the sustained operations managed by The Plett Tourism Association. The relationship was founded in a space where capacity was sought by the Bitou Municipality to effectively and sufficiently address destination marketing of the “Plett Is A Feeling” brand.

This included destination marketing, events management as well as community development. This relationship is ongoing and an amount of R3.2m was made available in the current financial year, of which R2m has already been transferred to the Plett Tourism Association. The balance will be payable by the end of November as approved by the municipal Council.

The Wine and Bubbly Festival is a Sasfin sponsored event and is not listed as one of the events that Bitou Municipality rolls out in partnership with Plett Tourism. However the Bitou Municipality regards all events that promotes tourism in Bitou as crucial to building the economy and creating opportunities for formal and informal business at large. Thus, in the absence of the Wine and Bubbly Festival alternatives need to be sought to fill the vacuum created.

Discussions with relevant and key stakeholders will be initiated by the Bitou Municipality to address the latter. Tourism is a key driver of the economy and the Bitou Municipality has embraced this as a key strategic objective.

Noting this, at the recent Parliamentary Standing Committee on Tourism held in Knysna, the Bitou Municipality was commended for their relationship with Plett Tourism, the support rendered to SMME development in this field as well as future prospects that relates to development (township) tourism and extending the footprint of tourism in general.

End

Issued By: Mr Howard Swartz on behalf of
Mr TC Ndlovu
Municipal Manager of Bitou Local Municipality