Five Tips For A Green Festive Season (Well maybe 6)

So the silly season is looming and the need to consume and buy "things" gets unavoidable – so why not break the mold and try have a "Green" Christmas" – it's cost effective, good for the planet, great lessons to teach your children and simply a good thing to do. So here are our top 5 tips for Greening your festive season...

1. Ditch the fake tree. They are generally imported, which means a BIG Carbon Footprint and really not all that attractive. Instead opt for an indigenous tree which you and your family can plant in your garden or a park somewhere after the Christmas season. A good option for a South African indigenous tree is most Yellowwood Trees (Podocarpus spp) - Yellowoods look superficially like a traditional Christmas tree with their needle like leaves and grow into beautiful trees. There are Yellowwood varieties that will suit the climate most places in South Africa. Just ask your local nursery! 
2. Invest in LED / Low wattage Christmas Lights. We all love the Christmas lights, a tree without lights just doesn't cut it. LED lights for your Christmas tree are generally a lot lower wattage than traditional lights, as a result cost you less to run, they are safer, will last you many many years and a lot more reliable than the traditional versions. To top it off, they are relatively inexpensive too.
3. Give Green Gifts, how about potted herbs or a tree as a gift for someone special this year? Check out this YouTube Clip for ideas on how to make it special and personal or have look here for some great, unique eco-friendly gadgets.
4. Every year, I wrap my gifts in newspaper, at first glance people squirm but upon explaining that the gift wrap makes no difference (after all is is about the giving isn't it?) and that recycling old newspaper is a gift to the earth and a good thing to do, most people embrace the idea. If they don't, well then, they don't deserve a gift from you anyway. Saving on expensive gift wrap will allow you some extra free cash and save a lot of unnecessary waste.
5. Give a gift that lasts, consider giving a membership to a Non Profit organization (many of them have gift cards which include a years membership, free magazines and other goodies) or a voucher to Green someone's home, something that would save them hundreds of rands (if not thousands) in the coming year! 
6. OK, we said 5 top tips, but this extra one is important, the festive season is about giving, so before you waste your money on overpriced Christmas décor or extravagant outings, why not cut back on those and give to the SPCA or a children's shelter, there are animals and people out there that have nothing, where Christmas is just another day to get through. Make it special for them and your rewards will come.

Courtesy of www.etc-africa.com - click here for more information

Tourist Safety This Holiday Season

With the silly season practically upon us, here are some useful tips for tourists and tourism service providers to pass onto their clients in order to ensure a safe and memorable holiday in Zululand.

Safety for tourists
You have worked so hard and it is time you took a break and relax. You have saved enough and you think it is time for a holiday break. Unfortunately, tourists are targets for criminals. This is a tendency that is developing worldwide.

Take the following few basic precautions and ensure that your visit is as pleasant and as safe as possible-

At the Airport

• Stay especially alert and watch your bags and laptop at all times. Do not let anyone but uniformed airline personnel handle or watch your bags.
• Watch out for staged mishaps, like someone bumping into you or spilling a drink, as it is often a ploy to divert your attention and steal your bag or passport.
• Carry your purse close to your body, or your wallet in an inside front pocket.
• Better yet, wear a money pouch under your clothes.
• Keep a separate record of the content of checked luggage. And keep anything of value in a bag that stays with you at all times.
• Avoid displaying expensive cameras, jewellery and luggage that might draw attention. Your aim should be to blend in with the crowd. 

At the hotel  or other accommodation

• Do not leave your luggage unattended unless it is locked way in your room.
• Store valuables in the safe deposit box.
• Keep your room locked at all times.
• Hand the key in at the desk when you leave the hotel.
• If someone knocks, check who it is before opening the door.
• Make sure that luggage is only given to the hotel=s bell staff and a receipt is issued for stored luggage.

In the street

• Plan your route beforehand.
• Don't stop people to ask for directions or check your map on the street. 
• Try not to look like a tourist by making obvious that it is your first time in the area. 
• It is better to explore in groups and stick to well-lit busy streets. 
• If you find yourself alone, try to make reference to yourself as part of the group.
• Avoid drawing attention to you by wearing lots of jewellery and showy displays of cameras and other valuables. 
• It is definitely not advisable to carry large sums of money around. Carry just as much money as you require for the day. 
• Keep your handbag and cellular phone with you and do not leave them unattended.
• Always keep an eye on what's going on around you.
• Never allow young children to wander off from parents.
• If you think someone is following you, take out your cell phone and pretend to make a call. Say the word police with enough volume for the person following you to hear. 
• Don't confront them. You may, alternatively, just get yourself to the nearest public place as quickly as possible. 
• Avoid going out unnecessarily after hours. 
• If you want to call a taxi, your hotel or the nearest tourism info office can recommend a reliable service. 
• A policeman or a traffic officer will be glad to direct you if you get lost. 

On the Road

• Practice the same prevention skills you do in parking lots or garages at home.
• Become familiar with your route before you start the trip. Get a map of the route and study it.
• Make sure your rental car is in a good working order. Learn how all the windows, door locks and other equipment work before you leave the lot. Keep your maps and rental agreement concealed, not lying on the seat or the dashboard where they can be seen by others.
• Keep car doors locked while you are driving.
• Store luggage in the car's boot (trunk) where it is out of sight.
• If your car is bumped by another car, think before you get out. If you are in doubt or feel uncomfortable, signal to the other driver to follow you to a nearby police station or a busy, well-lighted area where it is safe to get out.

In the car

• Plan your route in advance
• Keep the doors locked at all times and wind the windows up.
• Do not leave your cellular phone or other devices where it is visible from outside the car.
• Lock your valuables inside the boot (trunk) before your departure.
• Do not ask strangers to take you a group picture no matter how friendly they seem.
• At night, park in well-lit areas.
• Do not hitchhike.
• If in doubt about the safety of an area, phone a police station for advice.

How to avoid mugging

• Mugging is unfortunately one of the common crimes that unaware people fall victims to in the streets and shopping malls everyday. The following are just some of the simple measures that you can take to so that you don't get robbed.
• Look around you and be aware of your surroundings. Remember, an area is not safe just because you are familiar with it.
• Walk actively and confidently. You must always try to make eye contact with the people around you.
• Carry your bag around your neck and diagonally across your body. Do not carry it hanging over one shoulder. You may as well clutch your bag and hold it to the front.
• Put your wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket not a back pocket.
• Walk in well-lit busy streets and walk in a group if possible. 
• If you know or suspect that a pedestrian is following you, go to the nearest well-lit or busy area and call the police.
• If you are followed by a vehicle, never try to outrun it. Turn and walk in the opposite direction. React by yelling or shouting if possible.
• Carry money or phone cards for emergency phone calls.
• Hide your cell phone and do not walk around talking on a cell phone as it will distract you.
• Avoid going out unnecessarily after hours.
• Avoid taking short-cuts through deserted areas such as parks, empty areas and passages.

Courtesy of the SAPS - click here for more information 

Minimum Standards For Responsible Tourism Launched

Responsible tourism means protecting environmental integrity, upholding social justice and spreading maximum local economic benefit. Up until now the eco-labels had differing priorities on these three pillars. South Africa has recently launched its National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism. It helps create a cohesive understanding of sustainability in the industry.

If a South African hotel, B&B or adventure business claims to be a sustainable or responsible tourism operation, can you believe them?

To one business, being responsible might mean recycling and installing aerated showerheads. Another may prioritise paying staff members a fair wage and offering training and upliftment. A third could interpret responsible tourism as using more waterwise indigenous plants for landscaping and supporting local businesses.

So what eco-labels or responsible tourism accreditations can you believe? Surely they should all subscribe to the triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic responsibility?
Between 2002 and 2009, several prominent new responsible tourism ‘labels’ or accreditation bodies emerged in South Africa, and Government saw there was a growing need to set minimum standards.

In September 2011, after 18 months of consultation with the stakeholders in the tourism industry, the South African Government launched its National Minimum Standard on Responsible Tourism.

Now, whether you stay at a destination certified by Fair Trade in Tourism, Heritage, GreenLine, Green Leaf or Savannah Green Leaf, you’ll know that your money is helping to uplift and involve communities, helping to minimise environmental impact and is stimulating the local economy.

Although the standard is voluntary, they will make it easier to detect examples of false marketing or ‘greenwashing’. Tourism businesses can be asked whether and how they adhere to the ‘General Claims’.

The NMSRT, formalised through the South African Bureau of Standards, aligns this country’s responsible tourism offerings with international standards, specifically the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, first published in 2009. Broadly speaking, here are some of the guidelines: 


• Avoid waste and overconsumption
•  Use local resources in a sustainable way

•  Maintain and encourage natural, social, economic and cultural diversity

•  Be sensitive to the host culture

•  Involve the local community in planning and decision-making

•  Assess the environmental, social and economic impacts before embarking on tourism developments

•   Ensure that communities are involved in, and benefit from, tourism.

We would love to have your comments or hear your ideas about what you currently do or what you feel needs to be done to encourage a more Responsible Tourism Industry in Zululand? 

For more information click here

(Courtesy of www.southafrica.net) 

COP 17 - What does it mean for KwaZulu-Natal, Business and Tourism

COP17, or the Climate Change Conference 2011, runs from 28 November until 9 December 2011, at the ICC in Durban. Itʼs an important global issue, as well as a huge event for South Africa, and especially for Durban, but how many of us actually know what it is, or what itʼs about?

This yearʼs event is the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – what a mouthful! Itʼs also the 7th session of the COP which serves as a Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (or CMP7). The Kyoto Protocol is actually the only legally binding agreement thatʼs come out of the COP after all these years, and it expires in 2012, which is why COP17 is so important – some hard decisions have to be made.

What COP17 means for the world

The COP meets every year to discuss the problem of climate change, the efforts being made to combat the issue, and the progress, if any. There are 194 parties, or members, who have committed themselves to sharing information on greenhouse gas emissions, national policies, and best practice, as well as launching and negotiating strategies for addressing emissions, and providing support to developing countries.

The essential problem of climate change is this – the burning of fossil fuels and human activities such as deforestation are causing extreme weather, changing rain patterns, the melting of the glaciers, rising sea levels, and ultimately, very bad things for the Earth and its ability to sustain life.

The other problem is that most developed nationsʼ economies have already been built on burning fossil fuels, whereas developing countries are still reliant on burning fossil fuels to further their own growth in the future. The reality is that if every country doesnʼt reduce its carbon footprint, weʼre all going to suffer the consequences, but no-one wants to commit to a legal binding agreement to cap their emissions because it gives other economies a trade advantage.

What COP17 means for South Africa

The COP and CMP President rotates every year between the five UN regions. This year, the host and Presidency will transfer from Mexico (who hosted the 2010 conference) to South Africa. Each year, a minister from the host country is elected as President, and our very own Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, has been elected.

COP17 is an opportunity for South Africa to lead the way for developing nations like China, Brazil and India. Climate change is a huge threat to South Africaʼs sustainable development, given our reliance on our agricultural sector. With our economy so heavily reliant on coal, we would need to invest in renewable energy resources in order to reduce our carbon footprint, and so South Africa has a chance to pioneer the way forward for developing countries who are naturally reliant on fossil fuels.

With more than 20 000 delegates expected from 194 countries, representing the worldʼs governments, international organisations, and academia, the world is definitely watching. South Africa needs to take this opportunity to show the world what we are doing to combat climate change, marketing our initiatives, building networks and partnerships for future sustainable growth.

What COP17 means for KwaZulu-Natal

With over 20 000 visitors, who are likely to be more environmentally aware than the average tourist, this is the perfect opportunity for the province and local establishments (hotels and restaurants) to market and showcase their responsible tourism efforts.

eThekwini Municipality recently launched their Responsible Accommodation Campaign and COP17 Greening Programme, encouraging establishments to adopt environmentally sustainable practices and minimise the environmental impact of hosting this event in terms of resources like energy and water consumption, and the production of waste.

With this much international exposure, if KwaZulu-Natal’s hospitality industry is able to impress the COP delegates (and the world) with their ʻgreenʼ efforts, it could have a huge impact on our province as a tourism destination.

For more information about COP17, visit the website (http://www.cop17- cmp7durban.com/).

(Courtesy of the International Hotel School - www.hotelschool.co.za) 

uThungulu Tourism Update - Working For You

It's been a busy few months in the uThungulu Tourism Department, with the recent launch of the new District Tourism Association, unveiling of the Mobile Information Office as well ongoing growth and development with the Zulu Coast Film Office and Zululand Heritage Route (Route66).

Although many of these projects are focused on tourism development and product development, the cornerstone of the uThungulu Tourism Master Plan, a lot of work is also in the pipeline that focuses on marketing the district, with particular emphasis on giving tourists the services and information they require.

To this end, uThungulu District Municipality is currently working on some exciting marketing projects, these include

• A new tourism website for the district, this website will become a portal for all information and resources a tourist could possibly want when visiting the region and includes profiling of all product owners in the region
• A new Children's Tourist Map has also just been unveiled, this map is focused on identifying activities and destinations that are fun for the whole family, which is certainly an important consideration with school holidays and the festive season on our doorstep. Copies of these brochures can be sourced from the uThungulu District Municipality Tourism Department.
• Finally, the Adventure Tourism Brochure is in its final stages of preparation. uThungulu is a major destination for adventure tourism, from Rock Climbing at Ongoye Forest to Kite Surfing in Richards Bay. Sporting related tourism has a huge following and value in the area. If you have any products or activities that you would like included in this brochure, please contact Anushka Makka on anushka@uthungulu.co.za

There is a lot happening and even more in the pipeline for 2012, so watch this space and join us in making the region the tourism hotspot it deserves to be!

New CEO for South African Tourism

Thulani Nzima - new CEO of South African Tourism

South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has announced the appointment of Thulani Nzima as the new South African Tourism CEO.



Van Schalkwyk expressed his delight with the appointment of the new CEO.

‘I am very pleased with Thulani Nzima’s appointment. He not only has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the tourism industry, but his management skills will certainly steer SAT to greater heights,’ he said.

Van Schalkwyk added that the many challenges faced by the tourism industry globally meant that capable, strategic leaders were needed. Leaders who would not only create opportunities for tourism growth, but would take advantage of new opportunities that lay ahead.

‘I am confident Nzima will lead with integrity and courage,’ he said. Nzima's considerable experience in the business world and the tourism sphere, has equipped him with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a strong vision and vast industry knowledge.

He has held the position of director: sales and marketing at Avis Rent a Car since 2007, where he has been in charge of sales and marketing strategy and all revenue generating business streams. 
 Before joining Avis, he was CEO of South African Travel Centre, a travel agency group. Prior to that he held various management positions at South African Airways (SAA) between 1991 and 2005. His last position at SAA was senior executive manager: South Africa, where he was responsible for sales in the South African market.

Nzima’s term of office at SAT will be 3 years. Van Schalkwyk expressed his gratitude to Tim Scholtz, SAT’s Chief Operating Officer, who acted as CEO pending the appointment of the new incumbent.

Source: SouthAfrica.net Tourism News

KwaBulawayo Tourism Centre Set to Fly

Situated less than a 20 minute drive from Empangeni and overlooking the beautiful uMhlathuze Valley is the The site of King Shaka’s KwaBulawayo Royal Town. This site is recognized by all as being of prime importance in the Zulu Culture and History. It was here that the formation of the Zulu Nation was consolidated. KwaBulawayo was the engine of the Zulu nation’s growth. 

It is fitting that this site is now also being developed as a flagship, world class, community based tourism facility. uThungulu District Municipality in conjunction with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and uMlalazi Local Municipality have been working hand in hand with the Bhekeshowe Community Trust to develop tourism around the site. 

A new tourism concept plan and sustainability plan has been developed  by ETC-Africa which will see the center focused on offering a world class cultural experience,  according to Duncan Pritchard of ETC-Africa; "Our intention is to create a place where tourists, businessmen and anyone visiting the region can come and have an exceptional, authentic cultural experience, traditional meal and leave feeling like it was the most unique and fun thing they have ever done." The business concept for the KwaBulawayo Tourism Centre is modeled very closely on similar products in the middle east and Australia. 

The KwaBulawayo Tourism Centre is also ideally located close to the N2, allowing it to service the passing tour group markets, accessible on  an excellent tar road and in very close proximity to other attractions along the Zululand Heritage Route (Route 66) such as Queen Nandi's Grave, Cowards Bush, Manadwe Cross and Ongoye Forest.

The project is expected to begin full scale development, training and capacity building early in 2012 and aims to be operational by the middle of 2012.  

The Zululand Tourism Experience - A New Umbrella Body For Tourism in uThungulu

After two years of planning and stakeholder engagement, the much anticipated "Zululand Tourism Experience", a new district level tourism association, was launched at the recent uThungulu District Tourism Forum in October.

The Zululand Tourism Experience was initiated as a concept by uThungulu District Municipality following their investigation into  the best tourism institutional framework options for the district. According to Kobus Du Toit, the new chairman and stalwart supporter of tourism in the region; "This Association will act as an umbrella body for promoting, marketing and developing tourism in the region, it gives us all an opportunity to work together for a common cause and finally make tourism happen in the region, this is what everyone has been waiting for!"

The association will be established as a non profit company with a board of directors, including representation from all the current existing associations, routes and tourism organisations in the uThungulu district as well as some specialized portfolios such as marketing, skills development and business, represented by the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The underlying principle of the association is to increase tourism growth in the area through harnessing economies of scale, rather than having 5 or 6 various small associations with small budgets, have a central association where funding can be pooled to make a bigger impact and get the marketing reach that was previously unattainable.

Members will enjoy a host of benefits including international level marketing, exposure in printed materials, websites and a variety of domestic trade shows.

For more information on the Zululand Tourism Experience or to join as a member, please contact Kobus  on landlover@telkomsa.net