June 24, 2005
The Dinokeng Tourism Project: Gauteng, South Africa
"Let's meet in Gauteng, South Africa. Blue IQ has a project there called Dinokeng that needs your input on Inclusive Destination Development," reads one of my emails. South Africa has a notable history as an inclusive destination. It is encouraging to learn that Dinokeng will increase the choices avilable.
Game farms are big business in SA, and are attracting an increasing number of corporate buyers. Serious interest is being shown from overseas countries such as the US.There is a growing trend for smaller game farms to amalgamate to create more viable entities privately and at provincial government level, such as the Dinokeng Tourism project.
Dinokeng is a Blue IQ initiative of the Gauteng government to establish a premier tourist destination close to urban Gauteng. The project aims to promote economic growth, job creation and social upliftment through conserving and developing the historical, natural and cultural heritage of the area.
The project aims to enable many South Africans to experience tourism for the first time. Dinokeng has many game reserves and conservancies being linked and restocked with game to form a large Big Five game reserve.
In time it is expected the reserve will cover 100000ha, making it one of SA's biggest. Kolobe, a 140ha game farm at Boekenhoutskloof, to be sold by Auction Alliance on June 29, is part of a 1000ha farm and is within the Dinokeng-proclaimed area.
Game on the farm include giraffe, leopard, eland, zebra, antelope, wildebeest, baboons and caracal. The farm offers hiking routes, mountain biking, fishing and horse riding.
Source:
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200506100215.html
New Gauteng guide
for disabled travellers
May 3, 2004
By Tammy O'Reilly
TRAVELLERS in Gauteng will now find it easer to get accommodation in places that cater for people with disabilities, with the Gauteng Tourism Authority's (GTA) first-ever accommodation guide for disabled travellers.
Believed to be the first of its kind in the country, the full-colour 40-page Gauteng Access Guide lists a total of 96 places with disable-friendly facilities like ramps for wheelchair access, handrails in showers and roll-in showers.
Published by AA Travel Guide, the publication reflects the authority's quest to stimulate tourism development in the province. "We believe Gauteng's greatest wealth is in its people and their hospitality and we make it our business to cater for every need of every visitor. We are delighted to now also have properly researched and packaged information for mobility-impaired guests," said the CEO of the GTA, Terry Tselane.
The guide is easy to use with standard symbols for facilities, and special symbols to indicate disabled-friendly features at accommodation establishments. There is also a much-needed list of tour operators specialising in travel for the disabled and wheel chair hire, as well as tourism information on shopping centres, routes, theatres and museums and other attractions.
"We have done thorough research on these aspects and believe this may be the first publication of its kind," said publisher Vanessa Sand.
Source:
Gauteng Access Guide
http://www.joburg.org.za/2004/may/may3_access.stm
Further Reading on Gauteng:
Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=242090&area=/insight/insight__national/
Gauteng Province Portal
http://www.gauteng.net/home/home.asp
Business Tourism Promotes Sandton
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/40/6759.html
inclusive destination development
Posted by rollingrains at June 24, 2005 04:49 PM