THE Ugu District Municipality on the KZN South Coast has great plans to develop rural tourism into a major economic sector in the region to act as a catalyst for improved infrastructure.

This was the word from Mike Bertram, ceo of Hibiscus Coast Tourism in the Ugu District Municipality, when he addressed the Local Government Tourism Indaba being held in Cape Town this week. The Ugu District Municipality comprises six
local municipalities: Ezinqolweni, Umuziwabantu, Umzumbe, Umdoni, Hibiscus Coast and Vulamehlo. It covers 5 866 sq km and has a population of about 720 000.

Bertram said rural tourism in the region was being developed in partnership with the private sector through the Southern Explorer tourist route, now in its fifth year of existence. A Southern Explorer guide now has nine distinct tourist routes and 150 000 copies of the guide are being distributed annually. Improved road signage costing R3m displaying the Southern Explorer logo has been erected with grants from the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism and KZN Tourism. Oribi Gorge corridor maps have been designed to highlight both product and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Natal Portland Cement (NPC), which has mines in the area, financed the development of a state-of-the-art tourism centre to kick-start the Oribi Gorge Tourism corridor.  The venue offers local communities a venue to exhibit and sell their arts and crafts.

Meanwhile, Bertram said, the original business plan had been revised to focus on investment marketing. Potential opportunities at Oribi included another Big 5 game reserve, an eco-residential estate and a golf & spa estate.

He said plans existed for the development of:
* A walking trail through the Simuma Conservancy
* A Birding Centre or ‘Dawn Chorus’ centre in conjunction with Birdlife South Africa
* Steam train tourism, connecting the coast to the KZN hinterland.