GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 86: View of the proposed entrance into uMasizakhe

Figure 87: View of Goedhals Square looking towards uMasizakhe

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 65 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 88: View of Goedhals Square

Figure 89: View of the proposed petrol station

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 66 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 90: View of the pedestrian space

Figure 91: View of Goedhals Square and Market Square

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 67 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.4. Graaff-Reinet Village Centre Upgrade Identified Issues The Church Square in front of the town hall is the most central and well maintained green space in the town, and its lawns are used by people as a place to rest or wait. There is also green space in Ryneveld Square and behind the town hall, although these are not as manicured as the Church Square garden and are underutilised. A lack of pedestrian crossings and shading/trees as well as narrow sidewalks are not conducive to a pleasant pedestrian experience.

Figure 92: Current condition of the Village Centre

Strategies The Village Centre upgrade aims to promote a positive pedestrian environment by: · Implementing various pedestrian crossings · Tree planting to provide pleasant pedestrian spaces · Widening sidewalks to promote pedestrian dominance

Figure 93: Conceptual proposal of the Village Centre

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 68 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.5. Entrance Bridge Development Identified Issues The bridge marks the northern entrance into town from the N9. However, it does not read as a threshold space (bridge crossing a river), instead it reads as an extension of the road.

Figure 94: Existing condition of Entrance Bridge

Strategies The bridge should clearly read as the entrance/threshold space into town. This will be achieved by: · Treating pavement surfaces · Implementing new street lights, balustrades, posts and banners

Figure 95: View towards town

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 69 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 96: View of bridge

Figure 97: Overall view of bridge

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 70 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 98: View of where bridge crosses the river

Figure 99: A more detailed view of the bridge

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 71 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.6. Tourist Walking Route As Graaff-Reinet boasts various buildings of significance, it is proposed to implement a tourist walking route through the centre of town and uMasizakhe Township to promote the town’s heritage. The route will be identified by visual route markers that will be inserted in pavements or placed on buildings. An information component will possibly form part of this experience in the form of brochures etc.

Figure 100: Image identifying the proposed tourist walking route

Figure 101: Image of route markers identifying the walking route

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 72 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.7. uMasizakhe and the Royal Block While the Royal Block is probably universally recognized as a resource worthy of preservation and improvement the singling out of this street neither recognises the unique character of the remainder of the historical core of the settlement nor complexities of uMasizakhe nor the dire need for renewal throughout the settlement. For this reason the departure point of the proposals has been to attempt to spread positive interventions around the settlement in an attempt to provide a positive impetus toward renewal around the settlement in the hope that this will permeate through the whole settlement over time.

14.7.1. uMasizakhe Strategies: ·

Strategy to Increase Pedestrian and Vehicular based Tourism: This strategy includes the identification of a walking tour route (see 14.6 above) which forms part of an integrated route within the horseshoe. This will assist in drawing more tourists through uMasizakhe. In addition the introduction of more formalised viewing points at strategic vantage points on the slopes of Saratskop and along the southern escarpment ridge will exploit the spectacular views and promote both pedestrian and vehicle based tourist traffic through uMasizakhe. The viewing points can start out as little more than levelled out areas retained within walls of natural stone pitching with integral seating and include a number of parking adjacent bays and tree planting. The facilities can be expanded later as the need arises.

·

Landscaping: The proposed landscaping is to be concentrated along the proposed walking route and should include: o Provision of effective storm water management infrastructure and paving of streets. o Improvement of private / public edge by erection of new wire fences and low walls. o Softening of edges by the planting of indigenous hedges plants along fences. o Adoption of a structured tree planting programme whereby streets can be greened with suitably hardy, low maintenance indigenous trees along the street verges. This could be in either the public space or just within the private boundaries. o Provision of street furniture in appropriate positions.

·

Alternative Vehicular Access Route: The further investigation of the feasibility of the creation of an alternative vehicular access route west of the railway line to serve the northern parts of uMasizakhe to: o reduce pressure of vehicular through traffic on Queen Street and other streets in the historic core of uMasizakhe. o Create opportunities for improved linkages of the narrow section of uMasizakhe west of the railway line to main body of the settlement. o Create opportunities for the formalisation of urban design interventions like building alignments, landscaping and planting.

·

Coherent Policy: The Council should seriously consider the drafting, adoption and implementation of a coherent policy to regulate all physical interventions in the built environment of uMasizakhe.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 73 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 102: Vistas vehicular route

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 74 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 103: Royal Block walking route

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 75 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

Figure 104: Proposed landscaping

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 76 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.7.2. Royal Block Strategies: ·

Guiding Principles: o New Interventions should honour the residential character of the Royal Block. o The property rights of the occupants of Royal Block are paramount and interventions should recognize this by providing guidelines rather than forced compliance. o Interventions should be born of a clear need within the community with an inherent sense of ownership by the community. o The need for restraint and guarding against overblown schemes with little chance of sustainability has pervaded conceptual thinking surrounding the Royal Block and uMasizakhe generally.

·

Recommendations: o The existing poorly utilised open spaces at the western and eastern extremity respectively be redeveloped to form part of a network of public open spaces linked by the Royal Block. The residual open space at the western end of the Royal block, adjacent to the railway line, should be redeveloped and landscaped to accommodate an informal performance space. Architectural and greening interventions should also be adopted to improve the relationship of the existing Apostolic Hall to the proposed space and also enhance the tenuous linkage between the Royal Block on the one hand and the Lower Reserve and Methodist Church complex on the other. The space at the eastern end of the Royal Block outside the Community Hall and Library relates poorly to the building, are unpleasant and largely unutilized. This space should be redeveloped by firstly the adoption of minor planning interventions to open the building out into the space and secondly by landscaping and greening the outside space. The rebuilding of the demolished section of the Lower Reserve block to firstly improve spatial qualities and secondly provide possible accommodation for an information centre or museum. o The upgrading of storm water disposal. o The paving of the street surface. o The provision of draft guidelines for working on houses within the Royal Block. See 14.7.3. o The greening of the street. See 14.7.4. o The provision of street lighting. See 14.7.5. o The historical restoration of the vacant one room unit and a two room unit to be identified. Preliminary sketch plan attached as Annexure F.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 77 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.7.3. The Royal Block, uMasizakhe, Graaff-Reinet: Guidelines for Alterations: GUIDING PRINCIPLES: · Never attempt to change your house to reflect the latest commercial fashion or to fit your interpretation of its history: It would be entirely inappropriate, for example to give your house a Tuscan or Mexican flavour or to embellish it th with string courses, mouldings and other plaster detailing common in mid 19 century Graaff-Reinet buildings.

S

R

Figure 105: Image illustrating appropriate and inappropriate approaches to façade alterations

· Always attempt to honour the historic layering of your house: It is often neither desirable nor necessary to remove aesthetically appropriate elements that have either replaced the original elements or have been added to your house in the course of its history. Such elements could include external joinery like doors and windows and low stoep walls. · Never destroy historical interior details: While is inevitable that buildings need to change to accommodate contemporary needs and to retain their relevance. It is possible for your house to be changed without destroying existing intact elements like, fireplaces, doors and ceilings. These should be retained as far as possible in the historical core of your house. · Always attempt to retain the visual integrity of your house: Additional accommodation is needed from time to time so when adding to hour house care should be taken to honour the architectural integrity of your house and of the Royal Block. It would, for instance be quite

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 78 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals inappropriate to convert the historical core of your house into a double storey or to add a double storey or pitched roof extension to the rear. Other examples of alterations that can have a negative impact on the integrity of your house could include the clipping off of parapets and the introduction of oversailing eaves when replacing the roof and the removal of chimneys. Parapets and chimneys are integral to the architectural character of the Royal Block.

S R

Figure 106: Image illustrating appropriate and inappropriate approaches to façade alterations

· Always attempt to match building elements / materials with that which was removed: It is inevitable that elements of any building decay or are damaged and will need to be replaced from time to time. These should be replaced with like elements as far as practically and financially possible. For example original doors and windows can be replicated rather than replacing them with mismatching standard elements. Corrugated iron roofs should be replaced with modern corrugated iron sheeting rather than IBR or fibre cement sheeting and so forth. · Always maintain your building: Historic buildings are built from materials that make them particularly susceptible to weathering and decay if not properly maintained. Regular maintenance can save massive expenditure to address progressive decay over time. Maintenance should however be as non-invasive as possible. For example it is not appropriate to strip all the plaster from your house if only a small section is defective. Old finishes are part of the character and patina of your house and should be retained as far as possible. DESIRABLE & UNDESIRABLE BUILDING ELEMENTS & MATERIALS: Do use the following: Roofing: · Corrugated iron · Proprietary prepainted corrugated sheeting (Chromadek, Colorbond etc.) in grey only. Rainwater Goods: · Galvanised sheet metal gutters to match the original profile which will invariably be either ogee or half round. · Continuously rolled precoloured sheet metal (aluminium / galvanised sheet metal) gutters, with ogee profile. · Round sheet metal rainwater downpipes with mitred-soldered joints rather than crimped joints. file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 79 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

R

Figure 107: Sheetmetal Rainwater Goods

Walling: · Plastered, but preferably brushed plastered brickwork. Doors & Windows: · Preferably sliding sash windows. · If sliding sash windows cannot be used owing to expense suitably proportioned small pane standard steel or timber windows may be used. The proportion horizontal to vertical should be around 1: 1,5+ · Windows should always be painted

R

Figure 108: Suitable Proportioned timber & steel small pane Windows

· Framed ledged and braced batten (or ledged and braced batten) doors or 4 or 6 panelled doors. If the frame needs to be replaced it should have a cross section of at least 90 x 70. Hardwood, although more expensive, is preferable owing to greater durability.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 80 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

R

Figure 109: Suitable Panel & Batten Doors

· If you wish to use a semi-glazed door to improve natural lighting levels a horizontally divided door with batten lower leaf and glazed (small pane) upper leaf or half glazed panel door with small pane light in the portion would be appropriate. Frames should also be 90 x 70 and hardwood is once again preferable.

R

Figure 110: Suitable doors with glazed lights

· Doors should always be painted. External / Landscaping Elements (street elevations and visible boundaries): · Stoeps, if enclosed, should be enclosed with low plastered brick walls never more than 1m high. Simple mild steel railings without scrolls and cast ornamentation may also be used but should also not be more than 1m high. · Use plastered walls, wire mesh fences and hedges on visible boundaries.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 81 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

R

Figure 111: Suitable hedges and plastered brick walls

Never use the following: Roofing: · IBR profiled galvanised steel roof sheeting · Fibre cement roof sheeting Rainwater Goods: · Fibre cement rainwater goods · Square profile PVC rainwater goods · Square profile sheet metal rainwater goods · Sheet metal rainwater downpipes with crimped joints. · rather than crimped joints.

S S

Figure 112: Crimped sheetmetal rainwater pipes & Fibre Cement Rainwater goods

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 82 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals Walling: · Unplastered concrete blocks · Facebrick or clinker brick · Artificial stone · Slasto or other natural stone applied to walls · Exposed concrete or raw cement plaster Doors & Windows (chiefly on street elevations): · Aluminium windows · Standard timber mock sash windows · Inappropriately proportioned timber windows · Inappropriately proportioned steel windows · Large paned windows generally · Unpainted timber windows generally

S

Figure 113: Inappropriately proportioned / large pane steel & timber windows

· Carved and unnecessarily ornate timber doors with glazed, leaded glass or wrought iron inserts and embellishments. · Steel Doors · Doors specifically manufactured and designed for internal use only

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 83 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

S

Figure 114: Unsuitable panel & batten doors

S

Figure 115: Unsuitable doors with glazed lights

External / Landscaping Elements (street elevations and visible boundaries): · Verandas and / or pergolas generally · Gumpoles generally · Steel or concrete palisade fencing to enclose stoeps / on visible boundaries. · Precast concrete fencing to enclose stoeps / on visible boundaries.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 84 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals

S

Figure 116: Unsuitable precast concrete and palisade fences

PAINTING & COLOUR USAGE: The liberal and individualistic use of colour in buildings is very characteristic of the Royal Block and uMasizahke generally and is one of the features that imbues the settlement with a sense of vibrancy and differentiates it from the formal and restrained character of the horseshoe. It would therefore be inappropriate to be prescriptive regarding the use of colour however excessively saturated hues should be avoided. The type of paint finish is however more important for use on old buildings which do not have adequate protection from rising damp. Lime or cement based paints are preferable as they allow the building fabric to breath and to expel moisture. Proprietary paints which provide a film which is impervious to moisture (normally lustrous, glossy or textured finishes) should be avoided as they tend to trap moisture within structure which in turn promotes material decay.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 85 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.7.4. The Royal Block, uMasizakhe, Graaff-Reinet: Guidelines for Planting: The width of the street and the specific architectural character of the Royal Block are not conducive to the implementation of a tree planting programme in the conventional sense. This notwithstanding the appropriate use of planting can enhance the architectural forms, rhythms and urban vistas so important to the Royal Block’s unique sense of place. Planting will also assist in softening the environment where hard surfaces predominate The following strategies are proposed: · Potted Plants: The use of potted shrubs or miniature trees which can be placed near the edge of the stoeps of the houses, at the interface with the street surface. The plants should be placed at regular intervals and planted in appropriately designed and durable tubs or pots. The nature of the planting will depend on the effect which one wishes to create. Trees with cylindrical form like cypresses will accentuate the rhythms of the facades, break the horizontal lines and frame the street-end vistas and create a formal structured character. While flowering shrubs like bougainvillaea, which have been used to good effect in Graaff-Reinet horseshoe and notably, Stretch’s Court will add vibrancy and provide a less formal atmosphere. · Mini Hedges: The provision of a planting strip of no more than 500mm at the transition from the street and the raised stoeps. This strip can be planted with suitable indigenous hedge plants which can be trained into dwarf hedges preferably no higher than 1m. This proposal has the added advantage of providing a soft boundary definition between the public street and semi-private stoep which could make the building of stoep walls redundant. Suitable plants could be spekboom and num-num varieties. · Shady Areas: At points were the continuous building frontages are broken by cross-passages or streets there is an opportunity to plant a single shade tree per opening which can be slightly recessed from the street line and more or less in line with the street façade. These spaces also allow the introduction of street furniture like park benches and in so doing create a shady seating area.

Figure 117: Image illustrating proposed greening

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 86 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals 14.7.5. The Royal Block, uMasizakhe, Graaff-Reinet: Guidelines for Street Lighting: The width of the trafficable surface of the Royal Block makes the mounting of mast / post-type street lighting potentially obstructive and therefore undesirable. Alternative lighting strategies will need to be adopted to overcome this problem. The following strategies could be considered: · Suspended Overhead: This proposal will entail the planting of masts / posts in suitable positions directly behind the frontages of the Royal Block, say approximately 6m from the street edge on either side and spanning a cable between the masts allowing a luminaire to be suspended approximately over the middle of the street or any other line that may be desirable. The feasibility of this approach will depend on the acceptability of placing masts on private property, the availability of space at suitably regular intervals and cost constraints. This proposal has the advantages of allowing for a totally unimpeded street space and maintenance access from the public space.

Figure 118: Image illustrating proposed suspended overhead lighting

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 87 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN B: Urban Design Proposals · Wall Mounted: Wall mounted (bracket / flat mounted) luminaires can be mounted on the actual front walls of the Royal Block in regular positions, possibly staggered on both frontages. This approach will probably present the most cost effective solution and also does result in negative spatial implications on the street. Care will however need to be taken in the positioning and choice of luminaire that will not detract or inappropriately “gentrify” the precinct.

Figure 119: Image illustrating proposed wall mounted lighting

· Façade: Waterproof recessed “wall washing” uplights can possibly be mounted in the stoeps of the units to light up the façades. Light reflected from the façades will provide a measure of illumination to the street. This proposal may be prohibitively expensive and energy inefficient as it will require the lighting of every façade if it is to be executed to full effect. An installation of this nature may also present a nuisance factor to the occupants of the houses. It will however provide a high degree of luminance, visibility and prominence to the Royal Block when viewed at night from the N9 and Magazine Hill. It also has the added advantage that it will have minimal visual impact on the Royal Block.

15. Preliminary Cost Estimates The preliminary cost estimates, indicated on the table below, are based on the conceptual proposals as contained in the report. The cost are including Contingencies, Professional fees and VAT. Projects

Cost

Upper Church Street

R 8 197 846.88

Lower Church Street

R 9 272 047.50

Goedhals Square

R 19 787 906.25

Market Square

R 16 772 606.25

Village Square

R 9 611 268.75

Tourist Walking Route Bridge Development

R 66 502 290.74

Total Cost

file: last updated:

R 33 771.36 R 2 826 843.75

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 88 of 113

C: Tourism Study

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN C: Tourism

16. Introduction Linkages need to be created across existing open spaces between urban settlements and rural places of interest in order to improve the access to spaces of tourism significance. The integration of historical, agricultural and environmental tourist attractions would consolidate and improve the tourism industry of the area. This component also investigates the establishment of improved access infrastructure. The contemporary thinking in sustaining tourism and travel, that is the movement or mobility of economically active people on business or recreation purposes, is the development of routes that bring together a variety of attractions and activities. The clustering of such activities into “Nodes”, under a unified theme, stimulates entrepreneurial opportunity through the development of ancillary products and services. ·

The tourism route concept is considered to be an effective method of tourism distribution, especially of tourists travelling by road (driving, hiking, cycling etc.) within a given geographical area.

·

The activity of route tourism involves developing cooperative planning arrangements and relationships taking place between difference localities in order for them to collectively compete as tourism spaces.

·

“The clustering of activities and attractions in less developed areas stimulates cooperation and partnerships between communities in local and neighbouring regions and serves as a vehicle for the stimulation of economic development through tourism” (Briedenhann and Wickens). Spatial networks are constituted by “packaging rural tourism products into inclusive and coherent routes through the use of themes and stories (such as folklore, working lives, food and drink routes, religious routes) which help to move the tourist around geographically dispersed attractions” (Clarke, 2005, p.92).

·

According to Meyer (2004), routes seem to be a particularly good opportunity for the development of less mature areas with high cultural resources that appeal to special interest tourists, who often not only stay longer by also spend more to pursue their particular interest. Routes appeal to a great variety of users such as international overnight visitors that visit the route as part of a special interest holiday, staying visitors that frequent the route (or part of it on day excursions), or urban domestic day visitors.

·

The essential concept of route tourism is simple, namely that of the linking together of a series of tourism attractions in order to promote local tourism by encouraging visitors to travel from one location to another. Routes vary considerably in length and scale as well as theme adopted and visitors attracted in terms of characteristics as well as numbers.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 89 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN C: Tourism

17. Tourism Nodes In The Cacadu, Chris Hani And Central Karoo District Municipal Area In order to understand and quantify the significance of regional places of interest it is important to investigate the contribution to tourism made by the wider provincial and regional nodes or clusters. The Camdeboo Municipal area and specifically Graaff-Reinet is in a fortunate position given the locality of the town to National, Provincial and Regional Tourism nodes and resources.

17.1. Regional Nodes Besides the Camdeboo National Park, located in the heart of the Camdeboo Municipal area, the area is surrounded by three National Parks managed by the South African National Parks. These are: ·

The Addo National Park located to the South in the Sundays River Valley Municipal area.

·

The Karoo National Park located close to the West in the Beaufort West Municipality area.

·

The Mountain Zebra National Park located to the East in the neighbouring Inxuba Yethemba Municipal area.

Figure 120: Regional tourist corridors

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 90 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN C: Tourism 17.2. Visitor Numbers to South African National Parks (SAN PARKS) Categories Guests to Park in 2010

Addo National Park 135 109

Karoo National Park 41 708

Mountain Zebra National Park 22 039

Unit Occupancy 2010

85,2%

67,9%

71,7%

·

Guests to the Parks o Total guests to the parks for periods 2010 reflect 198 856 visitors to the surrounding SANPARKS

·

Unit occupancy for 12 month term o Addo Elephant National Park : Occupancy 85,2% Addo rated highest occupancy of all SANPARKS Nationally o Mount Zebra Park: Occupancy 71,7 % th Mountain Zebra rated 5 highest occupancy of all SANPARKS after Addo, Kgalagadi Transfrontier, Kruger and Marakele National Parks. o Karoo National Park: Occupancy 67,9% th Karoo National Park rated 6 most visited park on National Rating

17.3. Regional Distributors and Linkages The Regional Municipality is served by the N1, N9, N10 National Routes and by the R61 and R75 Regional Distributor linking the area to Gauteng and the Western Cape. These roads are continuously maintained or currently being upgraded. A surfaced aircraft landing strip in Graaff-Reinet services the region by air travel.

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 91 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN C: Tourism 17.4. Opportunities and Strategies to Strengthen Linkages and Accessibility · ·

Market the Camdeboo region as a national tourist destination reached by road or air. Linkages available from major centres by bus, car and air charters. Tourists visiting the National Parks to be enticed to visit the Camdeboo tourist areas Camdeboo to be branded as international and national tourist destination.

Figure 121: Current Tourism Environment in Camdeboo

file: last updated:

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 92 of 113

GRAAFF-REINET: URBAN DESIGN PLAN C: Tourism

18. Tourism Nodes in The Camdeboo Municipal Area Besides the rural tourism products addressed in detail in the Camdeboo Local Municipality Responsible Tourism Sector Plan 2009 Review Report Sector Plan, a market for tourism in the rural area is neglected in the report. The Eastern Cape attracts the most foreign hunter visitors of all the provinces in South Africa, generating the highest income of foreign currency via hunting amongst the provinces. A value of 392 million was generated by hunting by the 37148 hunters in the Eastern Cape in 2010. This sector should not be ignored and must be incorporated in the review of future tourism sector plans. The Camdeboo rural area generates the potential to enhance this sector of tourism and should be marketed and incorporated with the adventure tourism products generated in the area. The urban tourism nodes will be discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs.

18.1. Tourist Markets ·

Eco Tourism Definition: “Eco Tourism Society”, responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people. It should describe travel to fragile areas where Flora, Fauna and cultural heritage are the main reasons for travel.

·

Adventure Tourism Definition: Adventure Tourism is tourism that involves exploration or travel to remote and hostile places. Recreational travel undertaken to remote or exotic destinations for the purpose of exploration or engaging in a variety of rugged activities.

·

Cultural Tourism Definition: the movement of persons to cultural attractions away from their normal place of residence, with the intention to gather new information and experiences to satisfy their cultural needs (art, architecture, religious) (World Tourism Organisation).

·

Historical Tourism Definition: Heritage tourism involves visiting historical or industrial sites that may include old canals, railways, battlegrounds etc. Heritage tourism can also be attributed to historical events that have been dramatized to make them more entertaining.

·

file: last updated:

Art Tourism Definition: Visiting of incomparable artistic and cultural wealth, embracing a unique offering of specific forms of art, fine art (e.g. dance, music theatre, graphic, etc)

288_Urban Design Plan 29 August 2012

| Page 93 of 113