Author: Debra Sauer

MEDIA RELEASE: TOURISM DESTINATION STRATEGY WORKSHOP – 21 OCTOBER 2022

Date Issued: 27 September 2022

Issued by:      George Municipality

Status:            For immediate release

The Tourism section of George Municipality invites all stakeholders to attend an important workshop on Tuesday, 21 October 2022 about the Draft Tourism Destination Plan and Marketing Strategy.

The Draft Tourism Destination Plan and Marketing Strategy was approved by Council; now the Tourism section seeks feedback from tourism stakeholders based in George Municipality to discuss and finalise the plans.

During the workshop, the Tourism section will provide an overview of the documents and stakeholders will be able to ask questions. The budget will also be presented and discussed. The attendees will break into groups to discuss the Key Performance Indicators and this information will be fed back to the overall group.

Ideally, the Tourism section wants to fill a table per sub-category, to get insights from the entire industry:

• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Activities and Experiences
• Events
• Accommodation (non-hotel)
• Transport / Tour Operators / Ground Handling
• General tourism stakeholders and associations

Parties who register for the workshop will be sent a copy of the approved draft strategies to read in preparation for the session.

DATE:             Friday, 21 October 2022

TIME:             From 09:00 – 13:00

VENUE:          Banquet Hall at the George Civic Centre

ENQUIRIES:  Sharon House – 044 801 9295 or shouse@george.gov.za

“This is the perfect opportunity for industry stakeholders to give their inputs and make suggestions to improve the overall objectives of the plans, that will work concurrently with the Integrated Development Plan cycle of George Municipality,” says Tourism Manager, Joan Shaw.

Please RSVP via email to shouse@george.gov.za by Friday, 14 October 2022.

Media Release: George Municipality and other government stakeholders set the example by cleaning up the environment for World Cleanup Day
Issued by George Municipality 22 September 2022 for immediate release

George Mayor, Councillor and the Municipality’s Cleansing team together with other government stakeholders removed 250 bags of rubbish from four dumping sites and areas in the communities as part of a Cleanup Project from 20-21 September 2022 in celebration of World Cleanup Day.

The George Municipal EPWP workers, officials from the Environmental Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development EPWP workers, Garden Route District Municipality and former offenders from the Department of Correctional Services joined to clean up our communities in Thembalethu, Lawaaikamp, Zone 9, Rosedale and Parkdene along the N2 highway.

According to Janine Fernold from the Environmental department, five members of the public joined in on the project. She said although we would want to see more people get involved in ensuring we live in a clean environment; we are grateful for the few who assisted. An education/awareness campaign also formed part of the project. Officials distributed pamphlets from door to door to inform and educate the public on the ills of illegal dumping and involved schools as well.

World Cleanup Day unites millions of volunteers, governments and organisations in 191 countries to tackle the global waste problem and build up a new and sustainable world.

ILLEGAL DUMPING

The municipality needs your help to combat illegal dumping:

1. Please spread the news in your community that dumping of waste is dangerous and a health hazard. Waste should be collected in refuse bags and placed for collection on waste removal days. Builders rubble and waste not suitable for bags must be dropped at the municipal refuse site on the R102 (airport road).
2. If you can provide names, vehicle registration details or addresses of alleged perpetrators and are willing to make a statement in this regard, please report it to Law Enforcement at 044 801 6350 or sprins@george.gov.za. You don’t need a photograph of the perpetrator, but it will strengthen the case for a warning or fine to be issued.
3. If you notice dumped waste, please report for collection to 044 802 2900.

Caption:

Mayor Leon van Wyk, Councillors, George Municipality, Garden Route District Municipality officials and other stakeholders during a cleanup in Lawaaikamp.

GO GEORGE PASSENGER SATISFACTION SURVEY TO START SOON

Issued 16 Sep 2022

A GO GEORGE passenger satisfaction survey will be conducted from 26 September until 21 October 2022 at GO GEORGE bus stops on the current network of routes.

The survey forms part of the 2022 George Integrated Public Transport Network (GIPTN) Macro-, Transport- and Socio-Economic Study (MTSES). The results will be compared with previous studies to determine the overall socio-economic impact of the GO GEORGE bus service in three main areas, namely macro-economic, transport economic, and socio-economic impact.

According to Morné Lakay, Acting Manager of GO GEORGE, feedback from passengers remains core to the planning and fine-tuning of the system. “With intricate data at our disposal, it is possible for us to plan and implement, but we need to know whether we are meeting our communities’ needs and whether the bus service is indeed improving quality of life and access to economic opportunities. That is what the George Integrated Public Transport Network (GIPTN) is all about and why we kindly request passengers to spare a few minutes when approached by a surveyor. Participating passengers will remain anonymous,” Lakay said.

The data acquired through the survey will form part of continuous reviewing and improvement of the bus service and inform amendments where needed and possible.

Independent, trained surveyors with appropriate identification cards will conduct the survey using an App on a cell phone. More information can be obtained from the GO GEORGE Call Centre at 0800 044 044.

CAPTION:
Brendon Barends spared a few minutes to answer GO GEORGE surveyor, Larouchelle Kleinbooi’s questions.

 GO GEORGE-PASSASIERSPEILING BEGIN BINNEKORT

Uitgereik 16 Sep 2022

‘n GO GEORGE-passasierspeiling sal van 26 September tot 21 Oktober 2022 by GO GEORGE-bushaltes op die huidige netwerk van roetes gedoen word.

Die peiling vorm deel van die 2022 George Geïntegreerde Openbarevervoernetwerk Makro-, Vervoer- en Sosio-ekonomiese Studie. Die resultate sal vergelyk word met vorige studies om die algehele sosio-ekonomiese impak van die GO GEORGE-busdiens in drie hoofareas te bepaal, naamlik makro-ekonomiese, vervoer-ekonomiese en sosio-ekonomiese impak.

Volgens Morné Lakay, waarnemende bestuurder van GO GEORGE, bly terugvoering van passasiers die kern van die beplanning en verfyning van die stelsel. “Met ingewikkelde data tot ons beskikking, is dit vir ons moontlik om te beplan en te implementeer, maar ons moet weet of ons aan ons gemeenskappe se behoeftes voldoen en of die busdiens inderdaad lewensgehalte en toegang tot ekonomiese geleenthede verbeter. Dit is waaroor GO GEORGE gaan en waarom ons passasiers vriendelik versoek om vir ons ‘n paar minute te gee wanneer hulle deur ‘n onderhoudvoerder genader word. Deelnemende passasiers sal anoniem bly,” het Lakay gesê.

Die data wat deur die opname verkry word, sal deel vorm van deurlopende hersiening en verbetering van die busdiens en wysigings rig waar nodig en moontlik.

Onafhanklike, opgeleide onderhoudvoerders met toepaslike identifikasiekaarte sal die opname met behulp van ‘n toepassing op ‘n selfoon uitvoer. Meer inligting kan verkry word by die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044.

ONDERSKRIF:

Brendon Barends het ‘n paar minute afgestaan om GO GEORGE-onderhoudvoerder, Larouchelle Kleinbooi, se vrae te beantwoord.