Key legislative changes are currently taking place in the Western Cape that will allow the province’s trade and investment agency, Wesgro, to formally take over tourism marketing of the province from Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU).
Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism Chief Director of Tourism, Arts and Entertainment, Labeeqah Schuurman, says a draft Western Cape Tourism, Trade and Investment Bill is currently being prepared. It will repeal the existing Western Cape Tourism Act, which created CTRU. The draft Bill will also allow for the amendment of the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency Amendment Act, which will allow Wesgro to take over provincial tourism promotion.  CTRU was incorporated into Wesgro on April 1, but the CTRU Board has been retained as an interim arrangement in 2012/13 in terms of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Wesgro until all legislative changes are finalised.
Amongst others, the Boards of Wesgro and CTRU, provincial municipalities and the Tourism, Arts and Entertainment Partnership involving all tourism stakeholders in the province are currently being consulted on the draft Bill.  Thereafter it will submitted to the provincial cabinet and then to the provincial legislature, with implementation scheduled for April 1, 2013, the start of the new financial year.