Adventure awaits at first Garden Route tourism expo
The first Garden Route Adventure Tourism Indaba and Expo kicked off at the Wilderness Hotel on Friday and continues at the Map of Africa on Saturday.
“The aim of the indaba and expo is to establish the Garden Route as the most popular adventure tourism destination in the world,” said Alewijn Dippenaar of Thousand Sensations, which is presenting the two-day event with Interface Goji PR & Events and Duke Air.
According to Dippenaar there are more than 100 discernable adventure activities on offer between Riversdale, the Tsitsikamma and Prince Albert. “Adventure tourism is based on activities on land and on water, in the air and with animals. Some tourists prefer activities such as skydiving or rock climbing, which provide an adrenaline rush, while others prefer to participate in less dramatic activities such as hiking and birdwatching.
“The Garden Route offers an amazing variety of activities with loads of opportunities for both groups to experience the breathtaking natural beauty of the area,” Dippenaar said.
The theme of the indaba is “The Future of Adventure Tourism in the Garden Route” and topics being discussed include closer co-operation between land owners and adventure tourism entrepreneurs; the socio-economic contribution of adventure tourism to the Garden Route; the value of modern technology and social media in adventure tourism; national and international tourism tendencies and markets; and challenges regarding safety in adventure tourism.
Saturday’s programme from 8am to 6pm will take the format of an interactive outdoors exhibition and activities at Woodifields Conservancy at Wilderness’s Map of Africa.
An array of adventure tourism exhibitions and activities in which the public can participate will be on offer. There will be food and drink stalls, and live music, all day. There are also camping sites at the Map of Africa. The entrance to Woodifields is opposite the Nelson Mandela University’s Saasveld campus entrance.
Entry to Saturday’s outdoors exhibition and adventure activities costs R80 (adults) and R20 (children over 12). Under-12s enter for free. More information from Alewijn Dippenaar on 082-457-5675 or dyndev@mweb.co.za, or Mimi Finestone on 084-583-3144 or mimi@gojipr.net.
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