Today, Western Cape Minister for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, will attend the Tourism MINMEC, a high-level meeting between Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, and the provinces’ Tourism MECs at which national tourism priorities are discussed.
A statement released by Minister Winde says he will use the meeting as an opportunity to put Cape Town’s cruise liner docking situation front and centre of the national agenda and demand immediate clarity on the way forward.
He will request that Van Schalkwyk takes up the issue at national cabinet level. “If his department is serious about cruise liner tourism, as they claim to be, they will work with us to find a solution that will allow us to grow our cruise liner tourism industry, whether it be a lifting of the V&A docking ban, or the building of a world-class multi-use facility in a suitable location in the port that can be used as a cruise liner terminal.”
“In discussion with National Home Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, she indicated that under no circumstances would she reconsider her decision to allow cruise liners below 200 metres to dock at the V&A, a prime tourism and economic site that has fulfilled this function for over 10 years without incident. Her decision has caused much embarrassment for our destination, with visiting passengers being based in a working port. There is also the potential of a decrease in cruise liner bookings,” he said.
Winde said it would be misguided not to take the opportunity to make full use of the economic growth and job creation benefits afforded by the cruise liner industry.
He will also be attending Indaba 2012, and will use the opportunity to visit the cruise liner terminal at the Durban harbour to assess its infrastructure and see how it is managed.
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