The CEO’s thoughts on… proposed waterfront development

AS Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism CEO it is important that I keep abreast of proposed developments that would affect our city as a tourism destination and influence investors opinion. It is also important that I share my views with you, as valued member and tourism stakeholder, so that collectively we can develop a better understanding of the potential impact (positive or negative) such developments could have on the tourism industry and city.

So let’s look at the proposed waterfront development…

I refer to various media reports that Eastern Cape Provincial Government has made R3-million available for a feasibility study for a leisure waterfront development in Nelson Mandela Bay. One only has to consider what the popular Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town has done to increase tourism numbers into the Mother City, to realise what a similar development could do for Nelson Mandela Bay as a tourism destination. Developing the Port Elizabeth Harbour area as a leisure, hospitality and entertainment arena has been a notion of the Bay community for decades.

I don’t think there would be a city father (and mother) or tourism boss who has served Port Elizabeth/Nelson Mandela Bay, who would not join me and support steps taken towards making this initiative a real possibility. In fact, had it not have been for the vision and efforts of those community members before us, this development would not be an opportunity for us to consider today.

However, there needs to be detailed and precise stakeholder participation, research, strategy and planning to assess the viability of such a development. It is imperative that we do our homework to ensure that such a development would sustain economically. There is evidence in not just this country, but also abroad, where billions have been spent on infrastructure, like stadiums, and yet they are battling to survive, collecting dust or worse still have had to be demolished.

So, while we believe that a leisure waterfront development is what Nelson Mandela Bay needs, we would be kidding ourselves if we could not support and justify this belief using facts and figures, taking into consideration, for example, cruise liner tourism and how such a market would be reached, and - more importantly - how much it would cost to reach this market.

To construct such a development is not cheap. To manage, operate and maintain a development is not cheap. And, to implement marketing strategy and plan in unpredictable times to ensure economic survival of the development is not cheap either. And, whatever the costs, we need to be sure there is financial capacity to implement what needs to be done after the last brick is laid. We can’t afford to make mistakes and such a study will prevent us from making them.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism is eager and willing to be part of the discussions and the study process. Let it begin soon.

Mandlakazi Skefile
NMBT CEO