Cape Town Routes Unlimited strikes back CAPE Town Routes Unlimited’s (CTRU) embattled ceo, Calvyn Gilfellan, has moved to quash fears over the marketing organisation’s sustainability following the City of Cape Town’s decision to stop funding it. “Yes, without a doubt, we will be in business, not only for the rest of this year but way beyond. The provincial government has already written us into their current three-year budget plans.” He said CTRU this year was aiming to achieve at least 80% of what it achieved last year with city funding. This would be possible because: · The province had substantially upped its grant to CTRU.
· The province had financed an investment in an e-business platform and product booking engine, which had the potential to generate significant income for CTRU in the medium term.
· CTRU had cut costs by adopting new technology, by right-sizing its overheads and by working smarter.
· CTRU would avoid duplicating Cape Town Tourism’s marketing efforts.
· Private and other public-sector partners would co-fund some of CTRU’s marketing activities. But the budget shortfall would have some implications. “We will not be able to cover every non-traditional soccer-serious market (like Latin America and Eastern Europe) to the extent that we should, before 2010.

“We will not have the resources to fund city-based events and Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) to the level we did when the city co-funded us. However, we hope the city will make good on the shortfall.” He said CTRU would continue to market the Western Cape and Cape Town as a single destination. It would continue to engage the city in planning, budgeting and implementing marketing activities and seek a collective solution to keep the V&A Waterfront visitor information office open. Gilfellan strongly rejected the city’s “extraordinary barrage of unfounded attacks directed at us” as serving “the selfish interests of a few”. “The negative things that are being said about us are just plain lies,” he charged. “The people saying these things do not have our best interests, the best interests of our mission or the best interests of ratepayers at heart. The truth is that CTRU is operating and performing well and growing stronger every day.” PICTURE: Calvyn Gilfellan, Cape Town Routes Unlimited CEO