Five external service providers have been obtained to ferry passengers to Robben Island Museum as a short-term solution to address challenges. In the past, operators have reported ferries being cancelled at short notice, running late and being overfilled.
On Tuesday, the National Department of Public Works and COEGA Development Corporation briefed the Standing Committee on Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Agriculture in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament about the progress made in the project management of the museum.
“In the longer term, it is necessary to find a more permanent solution to the challenging task of ferrying passengers to and from the island,” said Beverley Schäfer, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Agriculture.
Tour operators that offer tours to Robben Island have said that the upgrades are not enough to enhance the visitor experience. Pieter Geldenhuys, from PG Tops Travel and Tours, said while there was a lot of demand from the American market to visit the island, his clients would prefer a smaller, private 20-minute boat transfer. He said the current ferry trip to the island took about 40 minutes.
Geldenhuys said the addition of five service providers to ferry passengers to and from the island was a way to maximise the number of visitors but not to improve the experience.
Colin J. Fryer, of Centre Stage Travel, added that fundamental changes to the tour needed to be made to improve the experience. “It’s like adding extra flights to a destination nobody wants to go to,” commented Fryer. He said feedback on the tour from clients varied and what they really wanted was an authentic experience. He said there was a still a long way to go toward improving the experience.
However, Schäfer remained positive about the upgrades. “I welcome the reported progress on preservation of the heritage treasure that is Robben Island, and to enable it to be more accessible for visitors. With the 43% increase in the number of visitors to the island in the 2015 festive season, it proves how important the improvements have been to date.”
Other structural upgrades have also been made. “New generators have been acquired to stabilise the power plant, upgrades have been made in the harbour precinct and the Garrison Church has received the attention it deserves,” said Schäfer. There have also been repairs and maintenance of back-up sewer pumps and control kiosks. Inline water filters at the house and administration buildings have also been installed.
Included in the priority list for 2016/17 are repairs and maintenance and repairs of a guest house, new generators, as well as repairs and maintenance of the diesel plant.
