Tourism seems to be healthy and recovering from high incidences of crime which plagued the area and scared tourists off.
With the Christmas season approaching, establishments have already received several bookings and are very positive about the number of tourists expected to visit the area.
Surprisingly, a most are South Africans from elsewhere, who come to visit the area as part of a holiday trip. The remaining part consists of tourists from Europe and the United States. Establishments report that they do get several returning guests, people who regularly visit the area on business or for vacations.
Most of the lodges say they didn’t need to resort to specials or make any modifications to draw new guests, while others say they have spent a considerable amount on marketing and upgrading their security to ensure guests’ safety.
The neglected state of the town does seem to have an effect on tourism. Most guests are concerned about its general dilapidated state, as well as the huge amount of litter and say it creates the impression that it’s not a good place to visit, compared to Hoedspruit or Mbombela. The large number of trucks on the R40 and motorists’ reckless driving are also issues, as are corrupt traffic officers extorting tourists who are ignorant about traffic regulations.
There are, however, a few guests who say they enjoy the rural cultural environment and the interesting atmosphere of the town.
The variety of activities, ranging from game drives in the Kruger National Park to touching elephants at Elephant Whispers, continue to appeal to tourists. The decay of landmarks such as God’s Window, the potholes and waterfalls, however, prevent tourists from returning or recommending a visit to the area to others. Other complaints include unpleasant experiences with hawkers in towns such as Graskop and Pilgrim’s.
These problems cause hotels and lodges to step up their marketing in order to get tourists to stop over and give a much-needed boost to the local economy.
On the positive side, establishments are grateful for the concentrated efforts and success in decreasing the crime rate and continue to support the police and local security companies in fighting crime.
