Wedding bells to ring for Plett tourism on world stage

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plett and surrounds will be represented at one of the biggest tourism events in the world in an effort to draw international visitors to the area.

Flying the area's flag at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London early next month will be Plett Tourism's newly appointed international wedding tourism ambassador, Jana Goodman, who has been a highly successful local wedding and events coordinator for more than a decade.

Goodman said the initiative aims to stimulate international tourism - an economic driver for small coastal holiday towns - after the beating the industry took due to the Covd-19 pandemic.

She explained that, according to the latest statistics for Plettenberg Bay, about 70% of the tourism industry before the pandemic was attributed to international visitors and 30% local.

This has changed to the complete inverse, with only 30% of the sector being international.

Ultimate wedding destination

"The potential is massive. We [the area] have everything a visitor can want, especially for events such as weddings," Goodman said. That is why the focus of exhibiting at WTM will be to show the world that Plett is the ultimate, world-class wedding destination.

"We can offer the best there is. We have stunning beaches, forests, wildlife, vineyards and diversity."

She said the currency exchange also counts in the area's favour. "The average couple spent about £50 000 on a wedding that would be far from lavish. That is more than R1-million. At that cost a couple can enjoy the most lavish wedding imaginable in the Garden Route, bring all their guests here and have change to spare."

Read more in Thursday's Knysna-Plett Herald, as well as online.