Critical season for tourist towns

As the countdown begins for the peak Christmas holiday season, many in the region are struggling to get into the festive spirit.

They say they are unable to look past numerous issues faced in their towns, never mind the threat of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which threatens to wreak havoc with everyone’s careful plans.

Some took to social media recently to express anger and frustration around lack of service delivery.

The main bugbear is that they feel the towns become especially neglected at this time of year, when they can least afford to.

One commenter said that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to close certain beaches on specific days, such as Christmas and Boxing Day, was another reason why many holidaymakers had chosen not to visit this year.

That’s bad news for the area which boasts popular beaches at Scottburgh, Park Rynie and Umkomaas.

Several local guesthouse owners commented on social media that the closure of beaches had resulted in them incurring losses this December, due to many cancellations.

Another reason cited for visitors staying away is the ongoing water shortages throughout the coast.

“Lockdown has been hard on us already and these other issues are out of our hands. It makes business so much harder,” said a local guest house owner on social media.

Bogus car guards who harass people for money on the street, prostitutes, unscheduled power cuts, litter and overgrown verges were also blamed for putting people off.

However, there are still locals who encouraged people to stay positive and to speak highly of their towns, especially on social media, rather than to keep putting them down.

Some claim it is because of these negative outbursts on social media that holidaymakers have chosen not to come to the area – before they have even had a chance to actually experience things for themselves.

Despite all the difficulties tourism towns face at this time, Sapphire Coast Tourism is doing its best to bring about ‘good vibes’ this holiday.

The association has embarked on a project to beautify the Umkomaas beach launch site.

The goal is to shift the focus away from the negative and to focus on bringing beauty back to the town, to promote it, rather than denigrate it.

Firefighters from the Umkomaas Fire Station recently hosed down a wall at the launch site.

This was in preparation for yet another mural which will highlight Aliwal Shoal’s magnificent underwater world, with the intention of making the town more inviting.

Artist Christine Andrews began painting the wall last week and it has already caught the attention of many locals.

They are proud of this initiative to help restore the town’s beauty.

The project is also seen as a way of motivating locals to look after their towns and to invest in them, rather than giving up and only being critical.

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