Mpumalanga provincial tourism authorities are seeking to diversify the region’s tourism appeal beyond the popular Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon through the promotion of lesser-known heritage and historical attractions.
The Highveld Heritage Route and the Liberation Heritage Route, situated in the highlands of the province, incorporate a variety of attractions that have yet to provide a notable contribution to the tourism economy. The region is home to multiple heritage and cultural attractions, ranging from Anglo-Boer War monuments to San rock art sites, museums and key liberation struggle monuments, including Mahatma Gandhi’s prison cell in Volksrust and the home of freedom fighter, Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, in Amersfoort.
“It is important to ensure that we provide tourists with more tourism offerings and experiences beyond wildlife. This will afford tourists that have a particular niche interest, to explore other parts of the province and experience other offerings such as adventure, history and heritage,” said Kholofelo Nkambule, Head of Communications for the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA).
“At the moment, one of our priorities is to also promote township and rural tourism so that tourists are able to experience the authentic African experiences within our communities,” Nkambule added.
She stressed that, in order for the routes to be successful, commitment needed to be shown by the local government officials tasked with maintaining the region’s tourist attractions.
“They need to be maintained at a level to ensure that they can appeal to the travellers who want to learn more about the fascinating history of the area. This continues to be a work in progress and we are also encouraging tour operators to package the routes and include them in their travel itineraries.”
Spreading the tourist net further
The MTPA has worked to promote the full diversity of Mpumalanga’s tourist offerings, ranging from the geology of the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains (a World Heritage Site that has some of the world’s oldest rock formations), to outdoor activities.
“Each tourist, however, has a particular interest when visiting the province. You also have tourists that are more interested in the fishing, grasslands and wetlands, as well as birdwatching. Our marketing efforts are aimed at ensuring that we expose and promote all offerings within the province so that they can appeal to any traveller,” Nkambule pointed out.
She added that the MTPA was collaborating with event organisers to profile some of the tourism routes, and was partnering with influencers, media personalities and performing artists.
