Grass roots tourism office established

TODAY sees the opening of the first of three regional tourism offices to be established by the Northern Province Tourism Board over the next two years, beginning with the Bushveld Regional Tourism Office in the town of Warmbaths. At the helm of the new office, which serves the Soutpansberg/Louis Trichardt region, is regional co-ordinator Elmarie van Deventer. Termed as the "gateway to the Bushveld" the regional office will be opened by the Northern Province MEC for Finance, Economic Affairs and Tourism, Thaba Mufamadi. Van Deventer says that within six months, the Bushveld office will be able to deal with central reservations for the whole region, although its main function will be to promote tourism and its "vast array of products" in the designated area. "The opening of the Bushveld office is yet another step towards promoting a communication between grass root product owners and the Northern Province Tourism Board". The other two regional offices - Valley of the Olifants (Hoedspruit region) and Capricorn (Pietersburg area) - will be established later in the year or early next year. (Adele Mackenzie)