KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna municipal manager Kam Chetty says advance planning and preparation ensured that the busy summer holiday period ran smoothly.
“As always, it was an extremely busy time for us, and our staff pulled out all the stops to ensure a well-functioning town, especially during peak periods when the population just about doubles,” he says.
An essential part of the preparation process was employing and training temporary staff, he continues.
“Our full-time staff component cannot cope alone with the influx of visitors.
"This year we employed 24 point duty personnel to help with traffic flow, 48 additional law enforcement officers and 37 lifeguards a day.
"We used the ward-based tender staff for cleaning, and only needed an additional eight temporary cleaners.”
“Sadly five houses burnt down and our disaster management department assisted where they could. There were numerous other fires in the outlying areas, but nothing major,” says Chetty.
“We are extremely happy to report that there were no fatalities at any of our beaches, and the lifesavers on duty rescued 18 people over this period.”
Heavy traffic is one of the main concerns during the holiday period.
“We set up numerous roadblocks with provincial traffic, with special focus on vehicles being roadworthy, obeying traffic rules and had a zero-tolerance stance with drivers under the influence.”
In terms of visitor numbers, Chetty says statistics supplied by Knysna Tourism show that some retailers reported very positive growth in December 2017 of up to 16% compared to 2016, while others reported they were on a par with last year and a few were below.
He says that despite a successful season, there are still challenges. “Illegal fireworks and the policing thereof remains a problem.
"We are also concerned about the water situation in our area.
"The coming months are historically dry and hot months; please adhere to water restrictions and continue to be water wise.”
Chetty goes on to thank all staff who worked long, hard hours "to make sure all our visitors had a great experience".
"Not just the municipal staff, but also those working for retailers and shops, restaurants, accommodation establishments and other tourism industries.
"This peak holiday period is absolutely essential to maintain Knysna’s economy and we appreciate the part you played to make that happen,” says Chetty.
The latest indicator of whether shops were busier or not has come from Woodmill Lane manager Bobbie Sharp, on 22 January.
"To your query regarding the season, I have had response from some of my tenants that while the feet were in Knysna, and seasonal trading was generally fine, it was down from last year.
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