While other SA tourism destinations appear to have thrived over the summer season, Nelson Mandela Bay saw a significant drop in the number of international visitors.
A preliminary report on economic impact of tourism revealed that the number of international visitors dropped from 16.19% in December 2017 to 10.94% in December 2018.
The municipality said the reasons for this sharp decline were still unknown.
A final impact assessment with the reasons for the drop will be released in September.
According to the city’s preliminary report, 36,410 bed nights were sold to foreign tourists as opposed to 54,938 the previous year.
But it was not all bad news for the Bay as Airbnb outlets raked in more than R16m in total generated income, proving to be the preferred accommodation establishments in the city.
The report also showed a slight increase of 0.08% in the number of visitors at formal accommodation establishments.
The municipality’s executive director of economic development and tourism, Anele Qaba, speculated that the municipality’s international visitor figures could be down due to the economic downturn.
Cape Town saw an increase in international visitor arrivals at the airport, according to Business Insider. The arrivals were up 4% for December and 9% year on year – totalling 2.4million passengers.
Durban had projected a 4% increase in international tourists, but eThekweni municipality operations manager Thulani Nzama said he did not have the figures on hand.
Qaba said other possible reasons for the decline in foreign tourists could be that the city no longer offered events that appealed to international visitors. “We don’t know, noone can ever really know why there is a decline.
Qaba said a gap had been created by the city losing the IRB Rugby Sevens Tournament.
“The event ensured that the whole of December was busy and it also increased the foreign share of visitors, which further boosted the [economy] of the city,” Qaba said.
He said the fact that the municipality had unveiled the summer season programme only a day before it kicked off could have been a reason for the decline.
“Further focus should be given on marketing the summer season activities and events earlier so that these entice more visitors to the city.”
Qaba said he would engage with the city’s sports and recreation department and attempt to correct this.
Economic development portfolio head Queenie Pink said the department would prioritise the maintenance of heritage sites to avoid any further decline.
“In our efforts to attract visitors, we cannot afford to have tourism products neglected to the state that they are in now.
“Even though most of these products are not under the custody of the [department], we will do our best to co-ordinate, discuss and put together a maintenance plan with the relevant departments,” she said.
“We cannot allow our tourism heritage sites to be rundown while we are watching.
“This will mean that all our efforts to market the city are all for nothing.”
It will be at least five years before Transnet starts moving the “unsavoury” manganese dump from the Port Elizabeth harbour to the Port of Ngqura to make way for the ambitious waterfront development.
The relocation of the tank farm is, however, scheduled to start in the 2020/2021 financial year.
Transnet port engineer Theo Sethosa revealed on Tuesday that the delays in getting the long-mooted waterfront development off the ground were a result of the change in Transnet’s executive management in November 2018, among other things.
The new timeframes left councillors in the economic development committee concerned, and asking whether the long-awaited waterfront, which is expected to change the Bay’s tourism landscape, would ever come to fruition.
Sethosa said the intention was to approve and advertise a request for proposals by June 2019, close the bid by December, evaluate the tender in December 2020 and approve the preferred bid in June 2021.
In 2016, Transnet committed to moving the tank farm in 2019 and the manganese dumps in 2020.
At the time, port manager Rajesh Dana was unveiling the plans for the ambitious project to politicians.
Sethosa, who was presenting the progress on the waterfront development to the committee this week, said as far as Transnet was concerned, the project had already begun with its relaxing of security at the harbour and the housing of two restaurants.
Sethosa said other changes to the development plan were the idea of a “people-centric port” and the intention to move the entrance towards Walmer Boulevard to make it more convenient for visitors.
The port would still operate as a service-driven harbour, but with added arts and recreational landmarks and attractions.
Transnet’s vision for the Port Elizabeth marina is a vibrant, busy port that attracts domestic and international tourists.
“The project has captured the attention of the business community and residents in the metro,” Sethosa said.
He said Transnet intended to appoint a long-term developer in March 2022.
Sethosa said it was reluctant to start the development on a large scale when a market analysis had found that the Bay would not be able to afford it.
This was the thinking behind starting phase two of the project only in 2028.
“We want to develop the waterfront by starting small.
“We have about 36,000m² and that’s what the market says. So it will be full. Empty shops have a tendency to drive people away.”
Economic development, tourism and agriculture political head Queenie Pink said: “I was concerned with the timeframes, but such is expected with changes and there is nothing we can do about that.
“But do we still have the commitment of Transnet?
“As a city we need to engage the new CEO and speak to him about these timelines.”
Sethosa said: “Nothing has changed, it’s just that this is a big project, it’s big numbers.
“The commitment is still right there and there are meetings going ahead to resolve some of these issues that were highlighted.
“We will do everything in our power to stay within these timelines.”
ANC councillor Luyolo Nombola said: “We support this as it will bring life and much-needed jobs to the metro, but it must give opportunities to small business when it is in full swing.
“And the timeframes are also worrying me but they are understandable,” Nombola said.