The Tshwane Tourism Association (TTA) and the Beer Association of South Africa are cooking something unique and of interest to travellers.

In a meeting held at the Capital Craft in Tshwane, both associations have collaborated to create a unique brew route in Tshwane. The City of Tshwane boasts not one but several beer distillers.

Tour Operators are encouraged to tap into this exciting opportunity!

Visit our website, email Secretary@tshwanetourism.com

The luxury guest house serves as a fantastic party, function, and event location, bringing the beauty of the outdoors inside to create lasting memories. Located in Brooklyn, one of Pretoria’s most prestigious neighborhoods.

The venue is set over 2550 square meters. With eight indulgent suites and multiple functional spaces, they offer tailor-made party, event, and function packages. Their team of venue planners can assist you in planning your perfect day. Read more…

Visit our website, call +27 (0)12 346 2025, or email info@richtershuyz.co.za

Entries for the 2021 Sasol New Signatures art competition are officially closed. A total of 123 works has been selected and are on view at the Pretoria Art Museum. The winners will be announced and will be made public from 11 November 2021.

The winner will receive R100 000 and a solo exhibition at the following year’s Sasol New Signatures exhibition, with the runner-up receiving R25 000, and five merit award winners walking away with R10 000 each.

Visit our website, call +27 (0)12 358 6748/6750

or email hanneliedp@tshwane.gov.za / artspta@mweb.co.za

This Marine Week, MzanSea, an innovative ocean literacy project hopes to make a splash with the launch of its first products that will help reveal marine ecosystems to people. The MzanSea project aims to connect South Africans with the diverse marine ecosystems in our oceans. A new website (www.mzansea.org.za), a children’s activity book, and a set of fact sheets have been developed. Celebrations kick off this week with an online educational outreach session organized by Thomas Mtontsi, who was part of the project development team in his role as a science engagement officer for the Egagasini Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON). One lucky group of learners will be the first to engage with these products and meet the project team at this launch event.

Three Oceans, many ecosystems

South Africa is a country with three connected oceans but most people have limited if any experience of the amazing ecosystems that lie beneath the surface of the sea. While many people are familiar with the range of ecosystems on land – forest, fynbos, savannah, grasslands, and more; most people struggle to name the aquatic equivalents and most people think of the sea as just a single biome. However, just as on land, the sea has many different ecosystem types each with its own types of animals, different ways of functioning, and different values to humans.

Rocky shores, kelp forests, and coral reefs are familiar to some but few people have any knowledge about life in deeper water. The MzanSea products introduce magical animal forests, deep midnight margins, and liquid highways that connect ocean basins, nations, ecosystems, and cultures. Visiting the website will take you to undersea mountains or seamounts, to submarine canyons, or the hidden life of sandy and muddy shelves.

Rolling back the blue blanket

The MzanSea team noted that many marine scientists forget what a privilege it is to experience and explore marine ecosystems, so they decided to share their experiences with others. Prof Kerry Sink, Principal Scientist at the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) explained that she was once asked in an interview what superpower she would like to possess. She responded that she would like to be able to part the sea – like Moses- to reveal just for a moment the incredible diversity of ecosystems that lies beneath the ocean surface. ‘’The MzanSea team are working to help realize the dream of sharing the amazing marine ecosystem diversity in South Africa’’ said Sink. Sink’s mother, Sandra, came up with the term “’ rolling back the blue blanket’’ when explaining the need to reveal marine ecosystems while she volunteered as an education guide with Dr. Judy Mann-Lang, one of the project developers at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR). When asked about the project impact Judy said ‘’I am really excited that for the first time South Africans and indeed people around the world will have the chance to explore our fantastic ocean ecosystems. These educational resources are significant because they will build the ocean literacy that is needed to develop South Africa’s blue economy. For example, if we want to do mining in the ocean, we need to understand the ecosystems we are mining’’.

Caring for marine ecosystems

The MzanSea Project was made possible by an international research collaboration known as the One Ocean Hub which aims to transform our response to the challenges facing our ocean and influence decisions and practices that shape the future of the ocean by promoting sustainability and justice. Sink, also a Professor at Nelson Mandela University explains how the Hub spans different disciplines and brings multiple forms of knowledge together to help make wise and fair decisions for our oceans. The MzanSea products include elements about why and how to care for ocean ecosystems and also profile young marine scientists studying different

Call +27 (0)82 831 0536 or email  k.sink@sanbi.org.za

Hard Rock Café is offering a 15% discount for TTA members. All you have to do is present the attached picture and voila! You receive your discount.

Visit our website or contact us at, +27 (0)73 752 8824, or email  info@hrcpretoria.com

City Lodge Hotel Group has published its Integrated Report (IR) for 2021, providing an in-depth look at the hotel’s activities during the past financial year from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, and its forecasts and plans for the year to come.

This year, the IR is themed “Getting back to living”, reflecting the direction of the tourism and travel industry as well as business and leisure travellers. “After the initial shock and uncertainty of early 2020, we quickly pulled together as a group. Teamwork and innovation led the way to embrace the new status quo.

While we remain vigilant in the face of each new wave, we have worked hard to keep our doors open and our guests safe and happy,” says the group’s CEO Andrew Widegger. “We used the quieter time to implement several innovations in enhanced health and safety protocols, exciting new food offerings, digitalisation, environmentally-friendly solutions, and a range of special offers that allow guests to access our top-of-the-range services for less, such as our WKND Special and #YourPrivateOffice offerings.”

Chief financial officer, Dhanisha Nathoo, notes that the group has published an IR for 11 consecutive years. The report is aligned with the highest international IR reporting standards, and due to the dynamic business environment and constantly evolving IR principles, integrated reporting is an ongoing journey rather than a destination. She adds, “This report further refines our reporting, building on the solid IR foundations we have laid over the past decade. The content has been developed in consultation with all our stakeholders, supported by input from reporting specialists.

Following the format of last year’s report, we deliver a view of the year under review according to the six capitals that our group leverages to deliver value to its stakeholders, namely financial, manufactured, intellectual, human, social and relationship, and natural. We believe this approach not only ensures our compliance with the latest IR standards but also makes for a more user-friendly document.”

When asked what stood out for the group in this past year of crisis, the leadership team – made up of Widegger, Nathoo, chairman Bulelani Ngcuka and chief operating officer Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo – said: “We were encouraged by the resilience and innovation of our people and their willingness to do whatever was necessary to keep our guests satisfied. We encounter amazing stories daily of people caring for people, both guests, and colleagues. Our Rate Us guest satisfaction questionnaires are returning higher satisfaction scores than before the pandemic, demonstrating how well our customer-facing staff stepped up.

City Lodge has also applauded our central office and support staff for so quickly adapting to the remote working environment and for always being available to deal with the curveballs that came their way. Our Covid-19 rapid response team kept the group responsive to the changing realities of the pandemic. As a leadership team, we are unbelievably proud of our CLHG family.”

To read the full IR online, designed to be easy to access and enjoy, click on this link 

Call +27 (0)83 446 0544

Freedom Park is about you and me. It is about the South African tale in the voice of the South African people.

Dr. Nelson Mandela called it a “people’s shrine”, while Thabo Mbeki referred to it as an “island of peace”. Since its doors opened in 2007, Freedom Park has indeed emerged as a place that captures the heart and soul of South Africa and is one of the nation’s foremost heritage tourism attractions.

Situated on the picturesque Salvokop, the 52-hectare site currently features five individual function venues. With its award-winning architecture, breathtaking views of Pretoria, and unsurpassed atmosphere, Freedom Park offers the ideal venue for all corporate events.

How do I find or contact Freedom Park?

Tours take place every day at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 15:00 PM/or take a self-guided tour.

Entrance is R65 for adults and R45 for children and pensioners

Visit website, call +27 (0)12 336 4020 or email tours@freedompark.co.za

As December approaches, plans for celebrations are already underway. There is nothing quite like spending the holidays reuniting with loved ones, sharing happiness, and spreading joy around the dinner table, enjoying all of your favourite Christmas delicacies.

So come one, come all, and have some fun! Join Capital Hotel School for our Christmas-inspired Masterclass.

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE!

book your Masterclass class, contact Michelle Cloete today!

Visit our website, email michelle@capitalhotelschool.co.za

Capital Hotel School opened its doors in 2001 and are celebrating its 20th birthday this year. We are situated in Arcadia, Pretoria. If you are a vibrant, people-orientated and success-driven individual, you might just be the perfect candidate to join our team as a Marketing Specialist.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with prospective full-time students and their parents and teachers to convert enquiries to enrolments.
• Build and maintain relationships with corporate clients to market and sell online training courses for employed staff.
• Develop online marketing strategies with digital marketing agency and inhouse social media co-ordinator.
• Initiate and co-ordinate marketing events on campus to stimulate sales of CHS products.
• Increase revenue; achieve/exceed monthly marketing budget.
• Maintain efficient and effective administrative duties.

Desired Experience/Attributes and Qualifications

• Grade 12 with relevant tertiary qualification and valid driver’s licence.
• Minimum 5 years ‘experience in sales and marketing, preferably related to the hospitality industry.
• Computer literate (MS Office).
• Mature person who is a passionate and innovative sales and marketing expert.
• Direct response marketing specialist.
• Solid client base.
• Excellent communication skills (speak and write).
• Team player.
• Willing to travel in South Africa and if needed, neighbouring countries.

Package and Remuneration

The position is available from 3 January 2022.  The salary is highly negotiable depending on marketing experience, basic plus incentives.

If you are ready for an exciting new venture, and you meet all the above requirements, you are welcome to forward your CV plus a covering letter and a head and shoulder photograph to ronel@capitalhotelschool.co.za.  Please note that telephone calls will not be answered.

Successful candidates will receive feedback by no later than 30 November 2021. Please avail yourself for an interview, if requested.

Visit our website, email ronel@capitalhotelschool.co.za

Government Gazette, 15 June 2021

Europe is looking for the best cities with smart tourism offer
11 October 2021, Joe McClain

COP26: Ramaphosa inks historic green investment partnership
03 November 2021, Tourism Update

Report: Will increased rates make travel unaffordable next year?
05 November 2021, Tourism Update

Netherlands clamps down on Corona
15 November 2021, Tourism Update

Tourism Monitors ensure safety at key airports
16 November 2021, Tourism Update