KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Tourism has commenced with the process of advising 9 staff members that, due to there being no secured Service Level Agreement between Knysna Municipality and Knysna Tourism and, with it, the commensurate funding to continue operating as Knysna’s destination marketing body, their employment with Knysna Tourism will terminate on 31 July 2018.
Knysna Tourism Chairperson, Elmay Bouwer says that she is deeply saddened by the process considering there has been such a positive turn around and growing support for the successful business and marketing strategies that Knysna Tourism has implemented over the past year.
“These employees have contributed many years of service to Knysna Tourism and their efforts over the past year, in particular, have contributed to the considerable progress and headway we have made”.
Bouwer said that the funding issue for Knysna Tourism has been an ongoing problem annually for the last eight years. “As a Board, we have communicated numerous times and regularly with our municipality to put in place the appropriate document or come up with a sustainable solution for the successful functioning of the tourism body.”
Bouwer explained that Knysna Tourism presently has the mandate to perform four tourism functions: Destination Marketing, Public Relations and Media, management of Visitor Information Centres and providing Marketing support to Events and Festivals.
“The Board, with the approval of our members, recently appointed Grant Thornton, an independent audit company, to assist with the creation of a credible business plan for the next three years. Grant Thornton is highly respected and widely regarded as the leading authority on the tourism industry in Southern Africa.”
Bouwer says that Knysna Tourism has sufficient funds to sustain the operation, albeit with a significant reduction in all expense categories, until the end of July. However, unless additional financing is forthcoming from Knysna Municipality, all sales and marketing activities will come to an end, once the 2018 Knysna Oyster Festival is over.
“The decision as to how tourism in Knysna is to be managed and directed needs to be a decision that all parties with a vested interest in tourism must take, and one that makes the best business sense and is considered to have the most meaningful benefit to the town of Knysna. It is all about what is the best for Knysna and all its residents,” says Bouwer.
The Board of Knysna Tourism has offered to continue to manage the tourism function in the interim, provided bridging finance is in place from the municipality to facilitate this, and is working with Knysna Municipality, Wesgro and Provincial Economic Development Executives to find an effective long-term solution.
An email was sent to newly elected Knysna Mayor Mark Willemse on Monday, 11 June, and two Knysna Tourism Board members met with Willemse on Thursday, 14 June concerning the contract with Knysna Tourism, which terminates on 30 June 2018. Willemse, who has publicly confirmed his support for Knysna Tourism and recognised the critical importance of tourism to Knysna, was in attendance at a further meeting on 14 June with Wesgro and Provincial Economic Development executives to find an alternative solution to the funding needed to keep Knysna Tourism open and avoid the consequences of Knysna not having a Destination Marketing and Tourism entity after 31 July.
Says Bouwer: “We cannot simply stop marketing Knysna in these very challenging and competitive economic times. Tourism is the key economic driver in Knysna and without an effective, properly funded tourism marketing entity, the whole town will suffer. All businesses in Knysna benefit directly or indirectly from tourism and without a tourism destination marketing entity, every single business will soon begin to feel the adverse effects.”
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