Caption: George’s strong delegation was led by Mahlatse Phosa (Director, Planning and Development), Tourism Manager Joan Shaw, Alderlady Iona Kritzinger (MMC Finance and Strategic Services) and the Municipal Manager Godfrey Louw.
George Municipality demonstrated its commitment to driving tourism and investment growth by actively participating in the Western Cape Economic Summit, held from 8–10 July 2025 at the ATKV Goudini Spa in Rawsonville. The summit, hosted by Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr. Ivan Meyer, brought together key stakeholders to collaborate on strategies that will boost economic development across the province.
The first full day addressed the critical role of tourism in economic development, aligning with the “Growth for Jobs” (G4J) strategy. Key topics included tourism marketing, destination planning, data-driven decision-making, and the importance of strong institutional frameworks. Tourism Manager Joan Shaw featured as a panellist in the session on Destination Marketing Excellence, where she presented the George Municipality’s successful in-house tourism model. Her presentation highlighted that both in-house and outsourced models can be effective—what matters most is strong political support. Shaw also addressed strategic issues such as improved air access to George and the need for sustainable tourism funding. The contrasting—but effective—approaches of Cape Town and George drew particular interest from attendees.
Day two focused on investment attraction and facilitation. Participants took part in an Investment Facilitation Masterclass, which shared practical tools, principles, and real-world success stories to guide local governments in attracting and managing investments. The day concluded with a collaborative “World Café” workshop, where participants developed actionable strategies that will be shared across municipalities for implementation.
Reflecting on the summit, Alder lady Iona Kritzinger stated: “It’s encouraging to see George being recognized as a model for integrating tourism into local government strategy. As we move into the new term, our focus will be on identifying and promoting a pipeline of bankable projects to attract meaningful investment into George.”
