The city’s Green Flag nod has put a pep in the step of tour operators in Nelson Mandela Bay — the metro now boasts 11 assessed hiking trails for the first time.
Nelson Mandela Bay Tour Guides’ Association chair and travel guide Sean Mitri and Jonker Fourie of Firefly the Travel Guy have welcomed the accreditation and its timing ahead of the summer season.
And both have cautioned the municipality about its responsibility to maintain the well-managed parks and green spaces if it wants to retain the status.
Last week, the municipality’s economic development, tourism and agriculture directorate lifted the lid on a bustling Tourism Month programme.
On Friday, during a breakfast information session at the Bridge Street Brewery in South End — the second in a series of four — municipal tourism officials revealed details of the status of the city’s Green Flag trails.
Their official launch will form part of the new Van Stadens Flower Festival at the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve, near Woodridge, on September 25.
The New Brighton Heritage Cycle Tour on September 27 will cap the programme.
Tour operators said various tourism safety initiatives, which had been planned to coincide with the events, needed to be implemented to make the city a destination of choice.
Mitri expressed strong sentiments about the need for collaboration and accountability to ensure potential economic spin-offs.
“The initiative of the Green Flag project is vital for our region,” Mitri said.
“It gives us the scope and potential to collaborate with the municipality and corporates to reclaim the city.
“At the moment, there’s a struggle with vagrants and security.
“But if we can use this initiative in collaboration with the municipality and [private] security, we can help grow and develop the region to what it should be.”
Fourie said extra attention needed to be directed to security issues plaguing outdoor and recreational settings.
“Once under [control], I think the trails can [significantly] promote Nelson Mandela Bay.
“When you look at Knysna and even Cape Town, people who go there want to hike ... and do other outdoor activities like mountain climbing and biking.
“There’s no reason we can’t do the same in the Bay,” Fourie said.
Acting economic development, tourism and agriculture executive director Mpho Pebane said safety was considered in passing the Green Flag status.
“Environmental safety touches on various aspects,” he said.
“If hiking trails are clear from alien vegetation and not bushy, it’s not easy for people to hide, making visibility prime.
“But, also, partnerships with neighbouring communities, conservationists and land owners involved in monitoring and managing the hiking trails from where they start to where they end.
“Some trails are within protected municipal nature reserves, where safety is guaranteed.
“We also encourage hikers to undertake the activity in a group.”
The linear or circular trails identified by the Green Flag scheme as popular attractions are:
- Coastal Fynbos, 2.8km;
- Grootkloof, 3.1km;
- Grysbok, 3.3km;
- Lady’s Slipper, 5.2km;
- Van Der Kemp’s Kloof, 6.7km;
- Aloe, 7km;
- Van Stadens, 7.5km;
- Lower Guinea Fowl, 7.8km;
- Sacramento, 7.9km;
- Maitland Reserve, 8.9km; and
- Roseate Tern, 9.6km
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