Tourism is well supported

Cindy Liebenberg
IN last week's edition of Our Times, chairman of Jeffreys Bay tourism, Andy Thysman lashed out at the Kouga Municipality (KM) and the Eastern Cape Tourism Board (ECTB)for not supporting the tourism offices and, more particularly, for their lack of assistance.
Head of the tourism and creative industries portfolio, Councillor Virginia Camelio-Benjamin disagrees with Thysman and said that they (KM) assist the tourism offices with financial support depending on the availability of funds.
The KM claims they also pay for the website's annual fees.
"In addition we give them free offices although only Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp are making use of it.
"They all enjoy free water, and free electricity”, said Camelio-Benjamin.
Furthermore she claims that they (KM) handle the distribution of all tourism information received from various departments and KLTO meetings for facilitation and joint discussions.
She said they also lend assistance to tourism offices and that all funders and donors lists are available to them.
"Yet, no office has made use of this,” said Camelio-Benjamin.
Thysman was also upset about the way that the ECTB had "piggy backed” on the Billabong and that none of the money had found its way to the coffers of Jbay Tourism.
Camelio-Benjamin maintains that it was Billabong who had requested the ECTB become involved which they did to the tune of R300000.