THIS TOURISM WEEK Number 49 – Wednesday, 16 August 2006

Brought to you By ChakariNet – Web Masters for

http://www.greenhaven.co.za/

 

Adventure Tourism

Want the BarefootBenefit? There’s more at the end of this message.

And, just so’s you know – This Tourism Week is

PROUDLY BAREFOOT AND FULLY SOUTH AFRICAN

Forgive me if you missed seeing This Tourism Week in your in-box earlier this week – but you see, I have an excuse: I’ve been following the Land Rover G4 Spirit of Adventure.  It’s my job to observe the competition and to write about it and I’ve spent so much time enjoying the event that I haven’t made time to write to you.

As a job it’s a dream – and as a lesson in what tourism can achieve, it adds another dimension to my understanding of this powerful and fascinating industry of ours.

The Land Rover G4 Spirit of Adventure is a 100 day-long competition in the mould of the ultimate international adventure race – the Land Rover G4 Challenge (which, by the way, was won this year by the South African entrant, Martin Dreyer). The Adventure, though, is aimed at Land Rover lovers while the Challenge is definitely designed only for super athletes.

In the Adventure, teams of four are given the use of a Land Rover Discovery 3 for a day and are required to complete seven tasks and to find their way from task to task using a rally-style route book. The tasks include precision and 4×4 driving, bridge swinging, orienteering, a downhill mountain bike ride, geocaching and – the last task of the day – a cook-off in the bush. Only the tasks are scored – driving between tasks is intended to be pleasurable and to allow participants an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the bushveld around Hartebeeshoek (the Jo’burg leg of the event begins at Monte Casino and ends on the most beautiful, untouched game farm just across the valley from the bush camp from where I’m sitting right now, typing this newsletter).

And although it’s not meant to be a team-building event, I think it’s probably the most effective exercise in team building I’ve ever witnessed. It was designed and is being run by the Knysna-based events management company, Magnetic South, whose directors all competed in the famous Camel Trophy, the precursor to the G4 Challenge.

Many of the people who’ve competed have never even attempted some of the disciplines – and everyone has been touched in some way by the effect it’s had on them. In my event diary of 11 August (read it here) I wrote: Glenda (Team Thailand) said “the day’s been great. I felt a little frustrated not knowing how the GPS works, but that was a challenge.

“I feel like a different person, I feel I’ve done something I’ve always had a huge fear of doing – always wanted to do it, but never wanted to do it, if you understand what I’m saying. I’m very fearful of heights, but I’ve done it (bridge jumping) now. I think heights will probably be easier for me in the future.”

It’s been wonderful to see how the experience has positively affected all the people who’ve taken part – even seasoned athletes like Chester Foster, who placed 9th in the Land Rover G4 Challenge in 2003 and who took part in the Adventure on Saturday, say that they’ve been enormously enriched by their participation.

And for me, I’m reminded once again of how much benefit we all can get from the adventure of tourism.

http://www.greenhaven.co.za/

Now here’s an example of a tour operator’s site that’ll appeal to you. Greenhaven specialises in golf and adventure tours, birding, hunting and corporate packages and incentives and this site, which was built by ChakariNet, is designed for both clients and the travel trade.

Trade users need to apply for a password to access prices for standard itineraries, submit requests for tailor-made tours and see a survey of the accommodation establishments which the company recommends; but for clients and potential clients, it’s an easy-to-use resource and a great way to shop for tours.

Visit Greenhaven at http://www.greenhaven.co.za/ …and…

…Have a Great Tourism Week!

 

MARTIN HATCHUEL – BarefootWriter

VISIT THIS TOURISM WEEK

Thanks to the wizards at S2 Web Solutions, This Tourism Week has a whole new look – visit http://www.thistourismweek.co.za/ for back issues, great links and a really useful media room with downloadable media releases and high res images.

… AND AN INVITATION

I’m always looking for subjects for feature articles in This Tourism Week. Please mail mailto:martin@barefootclients.co.za?subject=Invitation:%20TTW if you’ve got information of broad general interest to more than 6,000 readers in South Africa’s Tourism Industry.

Want the BarefootBenefit?

Visit http://www.barefootclients.co.za/
The BarefootBenefit

BarefootClients provides communications services (copy writing, advertising, printing and that kind of stuff) as well as strategy planning and creative thought for select clients who share our Barefoot On The Beach approach to business.

It’s simple. We believe that successful marketing creates relationships – friendships – between businesses and their customers. Our job is to help you develop friendships with your clients: to make them so comfortable with you that they’ll happily walk Barefoot On The Beach with you … Because business works best between friends. That’s the BarefootBenefit.

Want it? Visit http://www.barefootclients.co.za/

ABOUT THIS TOURISM WEEK

This Tourism Week is a personal e-letter and informed commentary on issues affecting South Africa’s tourism industry. If you don’t want to read it, please e-mail mailto:martin@barefootclients.co.za?subject=TTW%20UNSUBSCRIBE – but if you think it’s worth sharing, please forward this message to your friends and ask them to subscribe.

Please note that the articles in This Tourism Week may only be reproduced with permission.

Want it? Mail me – mailto:martin@thistourismweek.co.za?subject=Permission%20to%20Reproduce:%20TTW.

 

Back issues: http://www.thistourismweek.co.za/

 

This Tourism Week, 63 Wilson Street, Hunter’s Home, PO Box 2690, Knysna 6570

Telephone +27(0)44 384 1810 | Cell +27(0)84 951 0574 | mailto:martin@barefootclients.co.za?subject=Enquiry:%20TTW

 

PROUDLY BAREFOOT AND FULLY SOUTH AFRICAN

 

BULK MAIL SERVICE: CHAKARINET