Graaff-Reinet Community Tourism (GRCTO) and the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality’s (DBNLM) management had a groundbreaking two day meeting, to renew their collaboration.
The May 10-11 meeting is described by Kim von Behr Imrie, manager of the GRCTO, as a huge success, as a clean up process of huge parts of Graaff-Reinet had already started with funding made available.
“It was a positive first step towards renewing a collaboration that was officially established in 2009, with the historic signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Local Tourism Office (LTO) representative at that time of the towns, making up the then Camdeboo Municipality.
“With the amalgamation of the Camdeboo Municipality with the Ikwezi and Baviaans municipalities in 2016, the LTO annual stipend fell away.
“This was due in part to the complexity of the merger, as the new larger Dr Beyers Naude Municipality district was hampered by inherited debts of the new municipalities.
The GRCTO found itself now responsible for an even greater network of towns, inclusive not only of Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Nieu-Bethesda, but also Steytlerville, Jansenville, Klipplaat, Willowmore and Rietbron,” Von Behr Imrie said.
The most recent GRCTO funding application was backed by letters from four civic organisations (Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society, Graaff-Reinet Economic Development Forum, The Ratepayers Association and Graaff-Reinet Museums), as well as from local representative MP, Samantha Graham-Maré.
DBNLM acknowledged the necessity of working together for the benefit of the town and said that due regard would be given to the funding application in a tight municipal budget.
Immediate benefits are being seen in the town of this new collaboration with partners DBNLM, as well as with Sanral, who are responsible for the R63 and the N9, which runs through Graaff-Reinet.
Verges are being tidied, signage is going up, pavements are being repaired and potholes are being filled.
GRCTO is an inclusive and representative member-based tourism organisation.
Their objective is to first and foremost promote the tourism products and services of the Dr Beyers Naude district, as well as the benefits of the beautiful Karoo and surrounds in which it finds itself.