Charles Robbie
28th May 2008, 10:39
Hi everyone
I have opened this thread for some serious discussions on this topic!
It is in the PUBLIC INTEREST that this be in the open and not a closed shop as usual!
Please also use the poll!!
Don't get me wrong...I like this idea...BUT there are more important issues that need attention!
Do you think that the Durban eThekwini Municipality are at it again?
Are they trying to waste our HARD EARNED money chasing after pipe dreams that inevitably will only end up as white elephants at the end of the day and at OUR expense? Just like Ushaka and Tourist Junction? How many foreign tourists go there? Very few!
As a tour operator, we all know that tourists cannot get out of our city quick enough!
Why? Well the answer is simple...Durban is NOT a tourist friendly city!
Are the multitude of small enterprises making any money out of tourism here in comparrison to Cape Town where they are rolling in it? NO!!!
WHY?
Well...I say, Mike Suttcliffe should CLEAN UP HIS ACT and get Durban on the map!
1.Clean the city and repair the roads and infrastructure.
2.Make the city SAFE!
3.Make the beachfront a CONTROLLED ZONE
4.Allow FREE ENTERPRISE the opportunity of doing more business on the beachfront...umbrellas,deckchairs, jetskis,paddle boats,on the beach bars etc
5.TEACH the Metro police about tourism and how it can benefit us all - they are clueless!!!.
Allow coaches to park at hotels, allow combis to park in front of hotels and buildings so that the tourists can take pics...without having a rude metermaid insult the driver in front of tourists
6.Widen the beachfront streets
7.Show PRIDE in our city and REALLY make an effort!
Here is the email we all received in this regard:
Dear Sir or Madam,
The eThekwini Municipality's Economic Development Unit is conducting a feasibility study for a proposed Umgeni Ecotourism/Green Resource Centre in Durban North, on the Umgeni estuary in Durban, opposite the Blue Lagoon (see enclosed document for a map).
The centre may benefit both tourists, tourism enterprises and local residents, and therefore we would like to find out about your current use of this area, and how the centre's facilities can be designed to maximise its benefit to the local tourism industry.
The centre presents opportunity to create a range of facilities and services, including:
Information and activity hub / ecotourism gateway for all nature-based tourism activities in the Greater Durban Area and the Green Precinct of the 2010 stadium
Booking centre and base for local tour guides and guiding SMMEs, and EKZN Wildlife
Facility for green / environmental conferences for 40-80 people
Environmental library /demonstration centre promoting and providing information on pertinent environmental issues, green technologies and design.
Constructed as a green building to showcase environmental best practice
A commercial component that attracts people to the centre on an ongoing basis (e.g. restaurant/coffees shop overlooking the estuary, craft sales)To ensure the viability and sustainability of the centre, it is important that the facilities and services provided are related to the needs of your visitors and clients. Therefore, we have attached a questionnaire which you can use to comment on the proposal. The questionnaire should take only 10 minutes to complete, and your responses will be treated in confidence. We would be very grateful if youwould return completed questionnaires to Umgeni.ecohub@gmail.com (Umgeni.ecohub@gmail.com) by 6th June.
Finally, we would like to invite you to attend a participatory planning workshop on the EcoHub on Monday 9 June at 9am to 12pm at the Beachwood Mangroves, the river mouth of the Umgeni Estuary. Space at the workshop is limited, and therefore please reserve your place by Monday 2 June if you would like to attend.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Andrew Rylance & Dr Anna Spenceley
I have opened this thread for some serious discussions on this topic!
It is in the PUBLIC INTEREST that this be in the open and not a closed shop as usual!
Please also use the poll!!
Don't get me wrong...I like this idea...BUT there are more important issues that need attention!
Do you think that the Durban eThekwini Municipality are at it again?
Are they trying to waste our HARD EARNED money chasing after pipe dreams that inevitably will only end up as white elephants at the end of the day and at OUR expense? Just like Ushaka and Tourist Junction? How many foreign tourists go there? Very few!
As a tour operator, we all know that tourists cannot get out of our city quick enough!
Why? Well the answer is simple...Durban is NOT a tourist friendly city!
Are the multitude of small enterprises making any money out of tourism here in comparrison to Cape Town where they are rolling in it? NO!!!
WHY?
Well...I say, Mike Suttcliffe should CLEAN UP HIS ACT and get Durban on the map!
1.Clean the city and repair the roads and infrastructure.
2.Make the city SAFE!
3.Make the beachfront a CONTROLLED ZONE
4.Allow FREE ENTERPRISE the opportunity of doing more business on the beachfront...umbrellas,deckchairs, jetskis,paddle boats,on the beach bars etc
5.TEACH the Metro police about tourism and how it can benefit us all - they are clueless!!!.
Allow coaches to park at hotels, allow combis to park in front of hotels and buildings so that the tourists can take pics...without having a rude metermaid insult the driver in front of tourists
6.Widen the beachfront streets
7.Show PRIDE in our city and REALLY make an effort!
Here is the email we all received in this regard:
Dear Sir or Madam,
The eThekwini Municipality's Economic Development Unit is conducting a feasibility study for a proposed Umgeni Ecotourism/Green Resource Centre in Durban North, on the Umgeni estuary in Durban, opposite the Blue Lagoon (see enclosed document for a map).
The centre may benefit both tourists, tourism enterprises and local residents, and therefore we would like to find out about your current use of this area, and how the centre's facilities can be designed to maximise its benefit to the local tourism industry.
The centre presents opportunity to create a range of facilities and services, including:
Information and activity hub / ecotourism gateway for all nature-based tourism activities in the Greater Durban Area and the Green Precinct of the 2010 stadium
Booking centre and base for local tour guides and guiding SMMEs, and EKZN Wildlife
Facility for green / environmental conferences for 40-80 people
Environmental library /demonstration centre promoting and providing information on pertinent environmental issues, green technologies and design.
Constructed as a green building to showcase environmental best practice
A commercial component that attracts people to the centre on an ongoing basis (e.g. restaurant/coffees shop overlooking the estuary, craft sales)To ensure the viability and sustainability of the centre, it is important that the facilities and services provided are related to the needs of your visitors and clients. Therefore, we have attached a questionnaire which you can use to comment on the proposal. The questionnaire should take only 10 minutes to complete, and your responses will be treated in confidence. We would be very grateful if youwould return completed questionnaires to Umgeni.ecohub@gmail.com (Umgeni.ecohub@gmail.com) by 6th June.
Finally, we would like to invite you to attend a participatory planning workshop on the EcoHub on Monday 9 June at 9am to 12pm at the Beachwood Mangroves, the river mouth of the Umgeni Estuary. Space at the workshop is limited, and therefore please reserve your place by Monday 2 June if you would like to attend.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Andrew Rylance & Dr Anna Spenceley