The meeting brought together stakeholders from our municipality’s tourism sector, giving them the opportunity to engage directly with the minister and key provincial officials.
The minister, his head of department Jo-ann Johnston, officials from Wesgro, our councillors and senior municipal officials, as well as members of the Prince Albert Tourism Association (PATA), the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT), and representatives from the tourism sectors of Prince Albert, Klaarstroom, and Leeu-Gamka attended the event.
Minister Meyer showed genuine enthusiasm and commitment to the potential of our region and provided valuable insights into provincial support for our local tourism initiatives. His discussion included the importance of infrastructure stability—especially water and electricity security—which are essential for the growth of Prince Albert’s tourism sector.
The minister’s positive response to the proposed ideas for reviewing our branding and marketing, while working with stakeholders to explore tourism development opportunities suitable for our municipality, was encouraging.
The minister also agreed to Executive Mayor Linda Jaquet’s request that the programme be adjusted to include presentations by Ingrid Wolfaardt, Chairperson of PACT; Inga Terblanche, Chairperson of PATA; and Karin Henriques, a local marketing and branding specialist.
PATA’s presentation was discussed with the Council beforehand to ensure alignment with our municipal priorities and the province’s strategic direction, fostering a meaningful conversation between the Minister and our community.
Minister Meyer expressed his support for our vision for tourism and indicated that the Western Cape Government is interested in collaborating on several of the proposed projects. Building these relationships with the provincial government and others is essential for the development of our municipality.
Mayor Jaquet stated that the municipality remains committed to working closely with stakeholders in the tourism sector to implement our shared vision for sustainable tourism growth that benefits all communities in our area.
