KNYSNA NEWS - Visit Knysna, the destination marketing organisation for the greater Knysna area, has announced 2 to 11 July 2021 as the provisional dates for next year's Knysna Oyster Festival, which will once again offer an abundance of events for sport lovers, families, and adventurers spread over 10 days. 

And due to the success of the 2020 Virtual Knysna Oyster Festival and the global uncertainty regarding Covid-19, the organisers have added an extra element of fun to next year's offering, by hosting a hybrid event.

This entails combining a "live" in-person event with a virtual online component, giving festivalgoers the opportunity to explore Greater Knysna and all that it has to offer in person, or remotely from the comfort of their homes.

Said Visit Knysna general manager Colleen Durant: "The Knysna Oyster Festival is an important part of brand Knysna and its culture. Not only does it attract specifically domestic tourists to town, it also stimulates the local economy during the otherwise quieter winter months. 

With the refreshed event offering of the Virtual Knysna Oyster Festival, we hope we have inspired our regular festival attendees and look forward to welcoming them back along with many novices, while ensuring that we continue presenting an expanded programme offering by our locals as well as promoting our destination."

In addition, the support and interest around this year's virtual event has given the coordinators the confidence to secure sponsorship(s) for the 2021 festival, which promises to create new opportunities for brand awareness and lead generation.

"It has been hard, incredibly hard," said Knysna Mayor Ricky van Aswegen. "We've been scared, nervous, and unsure and some have lost their loved ones and income during this difficult time. 

"So much can be said about the resilience of the people in our town, which is why we had a successful Virtual Knysna Oyster Festival in the face of this pandemic."

The mayor added that he is excited to see what a hybrid (combination of virtual and old-school) Knysna Oyster Festival has in store. "The innovation behind virtual festivals has redefined how we view festivities and has afforded us an opportunity to think outside the box; and extend an invitation to people from outside our town to zoom into Knysna and experience one of our prestigious festivals. 

"This year's success has set the tone for how festivals should be like in the future - and that, in fact, we are leaders on how they should be like," said Van Aswegen.

Provincial marketing entity Wesgro's CEO Tim Harris concluded: "In today's rapidly changing environment, preparedness and crisis management have become integral aspects of event planning, which is why I'm excited about the prospects of hosting a hybrid event. 

This will mean double the exposure the Knysna Oyster Festival had before, which will not only offer everyone flexibility and convenience, but also provide potential sponsors with more value." 

'We bring you the latest Knysna, Garden Route news'