Mossel Bay Tourism supports tourism development

Mossel Bay Tourism’s tourism development programme took another step forward this week when the town’s Crafts Arts Workshop – which has been a major beneficiary of the programme – began the process of formalising its structure as a cooperative with the election of a board of directors.

“The Crafts Art Workshop has been a major attraction for the town for some time now,” said Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm. “But it’s also a creator of jobs, a centre for skills transfer, and a producer of unusual, quality products – which makes it sustainable as a business.

“This makes it a perfect example of the kind of enterprise that Mossel Bay Tourism wants to encourage in our area.”

Suzette van Wyk, a member of the board of Mossel Bay Tourism, is a facilitator for the Tourism Enterprises Partnership’s Development Programmes (www.tep.co.za).

“It’s a step-by step process,” she said, “which begins with Tourism Help Desk Agents who go out into the communities to identify tourism entrepreneurs, who are then lead through a system of increasingly complex training modules designed to help them build successful tourism businesses.”

It begins with TOPS – the Tourism Outreach Programme – which paints a broad picture of the industry, explains the nature of tourism and helps people to identify how they can become involved in the industry.

“Level 1 is about Awareness,” said Ms. Van Wyk, “and covers subjects like entrepreneurship, financial planning, how to operate within the framework of the law, and how to set up a business – and during this phase the candidates begin writing their business plans.”

By the time they reach the third (Intermediate) level, entrepreneurs are exposed to workplace-based training, while in the fourth level they’re presented with sophisticated business management concepts like human resources management, new product development, and questions around taking on partners or investors.

The finl level – the Tourism Mentorship Programme – is funded and driven by the TEP and the Western Cape’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

Ms. Van Wyk stressed that the course was ideal for micro-business people who already had a sustainable – or potentially sustainable – tourism product.

“The nature of tourism – which touches almost every industry in Mossel Bay – means that the list of potential candidates for the TEP Programme is almost endless,” said Ms. Holm.

“Hein Marais and the artists at the Craft Arts Workshop produce materials which Mossel Bay Tourism and various others have used as give-aways at international shows, and as pillow gifts for hotels and guest houses, while other entrepreneurs have developed guided tours and catering services,” she said.

Mossel Bay Tourism’s development committee encourages enquiries from anyone who feels they could benefit from the TEP Programme. More information from Suzette van Wyk 073 877 0135.