Tag Archives: climate change

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 25 July

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Southern African Tourism Update has announced that BA is introducing two A380 aircraft on its London – Johannesburg route from February (three times a week), and six times a week from March, with discounts of about 40%.

*   Golf tourism will be an important part of the sports tourism strategy that is currently in development by the Department of Tourism, said its Deputy Minister Tokozile Xasa a recent seminar exploring the potential of the South African golf tourism market.  South Africa has a great golf product offering, but lack of awareness and access are the major obstacles to growing the market.  Interesting golf tourism statistics were shared at the seminar:

• ‘There are 54 million golfers worldwide

• 25% of these say they will go on a golf holiday in the next 12 months

• Golfers on average spend 120% more per day than the general average

• Golf tourism bounces back from economic shocks quicker than any other tourism market’ Continue reading →

Climate change could reduce SA wine production by half by 2050!

Climate change could reduce the land available for vine growing and wine production in South Africa by up to 55% by 2050, according to a study conducted by the British Conservation International, reports The Times.

The Conservation International study focused on the effect of climate change on the world’s wine-producing areas, and estimated that all wine-producing land internationally will reduce by 25% by 2050, the reduction in our country’s Cape Floral region expected to be double that of the global average.

Climate change may also influence the vine varieties that are grown, due to an increasing shortage of water, as is expected for the Western Cape.  More vines may need to be irrigated too in the future.  New wine producing areas will also develop, as a result of climate change, it potentially including KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape, and the southern parts of the Free State in our country.

Climate change may enhance the quality of our wines, the ‘warmer temperatures hastening ripening, producing grapes with bolder flavours and more sugar, and wine with more alcohol‘, the article concludes.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @Whale Cottage

Lindt’s Easter Chocolate Bunny hops to the rescue of the Riverine Rabbit!

Lindt Master Chocolatiers is hopping to the rescue of the endangered Riverine Rabbit, by donating a percentage of its sales of its Gold Easter Bunnies to the Endangered Wildlife Trust Riverine Rabbit Programme. Lindt has been making its Easter Chocolate Bunny for the past 60 years.

The Riverine Rabbit’s long term survival can only be secured by protecting its natural habitat, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust is restoring riverine veld near Loxton in the Karoo.  This species of rabbit is one of the world’s rarest mammals.  The Riverine Rabbit project is part of a larger programme of the sustainable management of the ecosystems in the Karoo, in order to build resilience to climate change.

Last year Lindt donated R250000 to the conservation project, and adopted a rabbit. The publicity created by Lindt for its donation led to additional donations from the public, according to Christy Bragg, the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Manager of the Riverine Rabbit Programme.  A similar amount is expected to be raised for the conservation project this Easter.  The V&A Waterfront has created a massive display for Lindt in its shopping mall.

Disclosure: The writing of this blogpost was ‘fueled’ by a Lindt Gold Easter Bunny, which was delivered by the Lindt Easter Bunny with the media release.

We wish all our readers a Happy Easter, Geseende Paasfees, Frohe Ostern!

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage

Cape Town to lead world on Climate Change, with new Polaris Observatory

When Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène of Monaco visited Cape Town after the COP17 World Climate Change Conference in Durban last month, the reason for their visit was not widely reported.  Now it has been reported by the Weekend Argus that they were in the city to announce the establishment of the Polaris Climate Change Observatory in the V&A Waterfront, with Prince Albert its Patron, and that Cape Town had won the preferred host choice for this prestigious and vitally important observatory, an important tourism plus for the city.

Conceptualised by the International Polar Foundation, the Polaris Climate Change Observatory is the first of its kind in the world, and is scheduled to open in 2014.  The Observatory will be a showcase of the key drivers of climate change, and alternative energy uses for the future.  The International Polar Foundation receives funds from the Prince Albert II Foundation, which the Prince established five years ago to focus on the sustainable development and protection of the environment, especially in the polar regions. The Prince has visited both the South and North Poles.  The Polaris Climate Change Observatory will educate and inform visitors about the climate change research being conducted in the Antarctic.  Further sponsors are UNESCO, World Climate Change Programme, World Meteorological Organization, and the International Council for Science.

The Polaris Climate Change Observatory is to be located on the Collier Jetty in the commercial harbour, which was built more than 110 years ago as a coal and grain trading store, and the building has achieved heritage status.   The new Observatory building will be designed to become a ‘visual landmark‘ for Cape Town, which will have excellent views over the Waterfront towards Table Mountain and the city centre, said V&A Waterfront CEO David Green, the new building ‘layering history, industry, commerce and tourism‘.  He added that the project will enhance the commercial fishing and harbour facilities, rather than being a threat to them.  The building has been designed by local GAPP Architects in conjunction with German concept design bureau Atelier Brückner. Tying in with the polar theme, the building design will resemble that of  a ‘giant tabular iceberg, surrounded by water on all sides and depicting a melting ice block as a result of climate change’.  The iceberg, the planet and the ice-core are three symbolic symbols which will be represented.

Space will be developed to allow students to participate in the Class Zero Emission educational programme, and allows for interactive performances, film festivals, conferences, exhibitions, and functions. Climate change is the most complex challenge facing the 21st century, says the Polaris Observatory document.  The main objectives of the Observatory are as follows:

— “A showcase of the science unwrapping climate complexities

— A place where innovations towards a low-carbon economy can be explored

— A venue for bringing together policy-makers, civil society and industry

— A centre for the promotion of scientific education as a tool for progress”

The Polaris Climate Change Observatory will become an exciting new world class design, educational and tourism addition to the Cape Town asset portfolio, to open in the year in which Cape Town is the World Design Capital 2014.

Polaris Climate Change Observatory: http://www.polarfoundation.org

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage