Sweltering temperatures, Santas and summer parties attracted droves of visitors to the region leading to a bumper holiday season.Helen Ross of Wild Coast Holiday Reservations, who handles reservations for 11 coastal hotels, said the summer holidays had been a bumper period for the coast.
She said seaside resorts between Chintsa East until just north of Port St Johns were full with the exception of “a few gaps here and there”.
“It was a bumper period and guests had an awesome beach holiday thanks to the good weather and no incidents of crime, so it was a good advert for the Wild Coast.”
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese said that although the metro had yet to determine occupancy rates and attendance numbers at festive events, the season had been a successful one.
He said trends showed most visitors to the city came to spend time with relatives and friends, and that food and liquor accounted for their biggest spend.
Matebese said safety and security plans had been a top priority for the city which was “striving to become a tourist destination of choice”.
Vincent Park manager Joseph Parsley said the centre had also enjoyed a busy holiday spell.
“Restaurants such as the Spur and Ocean Basket were particularly busy with queues coming out the door and our monster 7.2m-high lit-up bear called Vince, was also a huge attraction.”
Parsley said the only detraction for the centre was the hot weather which directed visitors to beaches and away from the mall.
“It has not been so hot over December, but I think that made our tourists happy. And I think more domestic tourists came here because we didn’t have water restrictions like some other provinces.”
Hemingways Mall general manager Janice Coopoosamy said visitors had “flocked” to the shopping centre over the past six weeks despite the challenging economic climate.
She said a promotion which daily gave away R2000 vouchers, three new stores and a free parking initiative had drawn visitors.
The BCM Carnival held at Mdantsane City Shopping Centre mid-December accounted for an increase in visitors, general manager Dean Deary said.
“ more than 45000 people to the mall on December 15 alone,” he said.
At BT Ngebs City in Mthatha, photographs with Santa, voucher competitions and a pianist playing Christmas songs enticed shoppers not only from Mthatha and surrounds, but also visitors from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban who were visiting their families, according to the mall’s general manager Lolo Sabisa.
What’s On owner Rentia Ellis said when distributing her monthly leisure guide this month, shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets reported positive feedback about the season.
“What I have noticed is that there has been a shift in who visits East London to young professionals from big cities who come back home to visit family and friends,” she said. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Region boasts bumper season
Helen Ross of Wild Coast Holiday Reservations, who handles reservations for 11 coastal hotels, said the summer holidays had been a bumper period for the coast.
She said seaside resorts between Chintsa East until just north of Port St Johns were full with the exception of “a few gaps here and there”.
“It was a bumper period and guests had an awesome beach holiday thanks to the good weather and no incidents of crime, so it was a good advert for the Wild Coast.”
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese said that although the metro had yet to determine occupancy rates and attendance numbers at festive events, the season had been a successful one.
He said trends showed most visitors to the city came to spend time with relatives and friends, and that food and liquor accounted for their biggest spend.
Matebese said safety and security plans had been a top priority for the city which was “striving to become a tourist destination of choice”.
Vincent Park manager Joseph Parsley said the centre had also enjoyed a busy holiday spell.
“Restaurants such as the Spur and Ocean Basket were particularly busy with queues coming out the door and our monster 7.2m-high lit-up bear called Vince, was also a huge attraction.”
Parsley said the only detraction for the centre was the hot weather which directed visitors to beaches and away from the mall.
“It has not been so hot over December, but I think that made our tourists happy. And I think more domestic tourists came here because we didn’t have water restrictions like some other provinces.”
Hemingways Mall general manager Janice Coopoosamy said visitors had “flocked” to the shopping centre over the past six weeks despite the challenging economic climate.
She said a promotion which daily gave away R2000 vouchers, three new stores and a free parking initiative had drawn visitors.
The BCM Carnival held at Mdantsane City Shopping Centre mid-December accounted for an increase in visitors, general manager Dean Deary said.
“ more than 45000 people to the mall on December 15 alone,” he said.
At BT Ngebs City in Mthatha, photographs with Santa, voucher competitions and a pianist playing Christmas songs enticed shoppers not only from Mthatha and surrounds, but also visitors from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban who were visiting their families, according to the mall’s general manager Lolo Sabisa.
What’s On owner Rentia Ellis said when distributing her monthly leisure guide this month, shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets reported positive feedback about the season.
“What I have noticed is that there has been a shift in who visits East London to young professionals from big cities who come back home to visit family and friends,” she said. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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