{"id":28748,"date":"2011-12-31T11:28:24","date_gmt":"2011-12-31T09:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=28748"},"modified":"2012-01-02T13:04:27","modified_gmt":"2012-01-02T11:04:27","slug":"looking-back-2011-the-worst-year-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/looking-back-2011-the-worst-year-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking back: 2011 the worst year ever?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>2011: what a year it’s been for the world, South Africa, and Whale Cottage – unpredictable, up and down, and a year in which one had to rethink every way in which one has run one’s business and life. \u00a0Most would say that it’s been one of the worst years ever! \u00a0But despite the tough times, there has been a lot to be grateful for as well. \u00a0I have summarised some of the high and low lights of the year:<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0The knock which tourism took, especially from May – August, in being one of the worst winters ever experienced, had an effect on all sectors of the economy. \u00a0Restaurants frantically offered specials to gain cashflow, guest houses went back to dropping rates as they do in winter, and few took rate increases in summer, unlike their hotel colleagues, who suffered poor occupancy too. \u00a0More hotels and restaurants closed down than ever seen before. The recession in the UK hit South African tourism and wine sales badly, previously our major source market. From 50 % of our business in the summer months in Camps Bay, the UK business will be no more than 5 % this summer. \u00a0High airfares and the crippling UK airport taxes have not helped. The tourism situation was so bad that we wrote an Open Letter to national Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk<\/a>, as Cape Town Tourism and Cape Town Routes Unlimited were not aware of how bad things were in the Cape, and therefore did nothing to market the region and to help the tourism industry. Cape Town Tourism<\/a> spent all its energy on Twitter, not yet the medium of communication of our average tourist, and on wasteful promotions, and therefore we did not renew our 20 year membership. The welcome increase in German tourists has not made up this shortfall, but we have been delighted to welcome many more South African guests. \u00a0 The World Cup has become a swearword, the reality of its lack of a tourism benefit becoming clear. A blessing from Santa has been a much improved festive season, with no snow-bound tourists or strong south-easter wind, as happened last year.<\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Events are hugely beneficial for business, and the Argus Cycle Tour, J&B Met, and Cape Town International Jazz Festival attracted out of town guests. The U2 and Coldplay concerts helped fill beds and delighted Cape Town audiences. \u00a0A fantastic outcome of Coldplay’s performance is that the music video for ‘Paradise’<\/a> was filmed in our city, the Boland and the Karoo – no better part of the world could have been chosen for this song!<\/p>\n

3. \u00a0Cape Town has had an exceptional year, the darling of the world, winning the World Design Capital 2014<\/a> bid, Table Mountain being named one of New7Wonders of Nature<\/a> (amid some controversy and as yet subject to verification), named top destination in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Destination (for what it was worth!), and featuring strongly in the new James Bond book ‘Carte Blanche’<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0Our city hotels, especially the Cape Grace and Steenberg Hotel, featured on international top hotel lists. Good news was the sale of the V&A Waterfront to a local company, which is investing in the upgrade of and addition to the country’s most popular\u00a0tourist destination.<\/p>\n

4. \u00a0 Despite the doom and gloom, there were more restaurant openings, and chef and restaurant staff changes this year than in many years: The Pot Luck Club, Hemelhuijs<\/a>, Dash<\/a>, Casparus<\/a>, Dear Me Foodworld<\/a>, The Franschhoek Kitchen, Il Cappero, Caf\u00e9 Benedict, The Kitchen at Maison<\/a>, Sotano by Caveau, Knife, De Oude Bank Bakkerij<\/a>, Ryan’s Kitchen, Caffe Milano<\/a>, Mozzarella Bar, Cassis Salon de Th\u00e9<\/a>, Power & the Glory, Haas Coffee, Johan’s @ Longridge<\/a>, Skinny Legs & All<\/a>, KOS Coffee & Cuisine, Caf\u00e9 Dijon @ Zorgvliet, Le Coq, Act and Play Bar at the Baxter, Sunbird Bistro, Societi Brasserie, Jason’s, Bird Caf\u00e9 with new owners<\/a>, Maria’s after a long renovation closure, Toro Wine & Aperitif\u00a0Bar<\/a>, Valora,<\/a> Caf\u00e9 Le Chocolatier, Haute Cabriere Cellar Restaurant<\/a> after a renovation and chef change, Art’s Caf\u00e9, Spice Route, Mitico, Knead on Kloof, Chez Chez, La Bella, 5 Rooms, Terbodore Coffee Bar, Wale Rose Lifestyle, The Black Pearl, Bistro on Rose, Slainte, Babel Tea House<\/a>, Rhapsody’s, Caf\u00e9 Extrablatt, Harvest, McDonalds in the V&A,\u00a0\u00a0The Mussel Bar, The Franschhoek Food Emporium<\/a>, Makaron, F.east, Bean There Fair Trade, Sabrina’s, Harbour House in the V&A, MCC Franschhoek<\/a>, Clarke Bar & Dining Room, Roberto’s, French Toast<\/a>, Saboroso, Mezepoli, Rocca in the Cape Quarter, and Roca in Franschhoek opening their doors, and new suppliers Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants and The Creamery<\/a> opening too.<\/p>\n

5. \u00a0Sadly, the recession was noticeable as it hit restaurants, and it was some of the newer restaurants that were badly hit, including What’s On Eatery, The Olive Shack, Bella Lucia, Blonde, Jardine, Caveau at the Mill, Nando’s in Camps Bay, The Sandbar, The Bistro, Restaurant Christophe, Doppio Zero in Green Point and Clarement, shu, Oiishi Delicious Caffe, Hermanos, The Kitchen Bar, Wildwoods, The Green Dolphin, De Huguenot restaurant, Wildflour, Depasco, Kuzina, and 221 Waterfront.<\/p>\n

6. \u00a0The eating highlight of the year was the tribute dinner to the closing of El Bulli<\/a>, one of the world’s best restaurants, by Tokara, Chef Richard Carstens excelling in serving a 13-course meal to a packed restaurant on 30 July, earning him and his team a standing ovation. \u00a0This meal alone should have made Chef Richard South Africa’s top chef in the Eat Out <\/strong>Top 10 Restaurant Awards, but sole judge Abigail Donnelly proved that she was incapable of handling this new role and responsibility, not only in excluding Chef Richard from her Top 10 list, but also in awarding the new Boschendal Style Award to her client Makaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7. \u00a0 Franschhoek evolved as THE wine region, Boekenhoutskloof<\/a> being recognised as South Africa’s top winery by the Platter Guide, and La Motte the top wine estate in South Africa by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. \u00a0In the latter competition, Tokara was selected as top wine estate restaurant in the country. The sale of the Franschhoek Graham Beck farm was announced, and the operation closes mid-year in 2012. The winemaking will take place at Steenberg and at Graham Beck in Robertson, while a Graham Beck tasting bar Gorgeous will open at Steenberg in February.<\/p>\n

8. \u00a0 Hermanus was in the tourism marketing spotlight<\/a>, when miraculously both the committee of the Hermanus Tourism Bureau resigned, and the Cape Whale Coast Destination Marketing Organisation was disbanded by the Overstrand Mayor. \u00a0We had written about the self-interest which had been served by the previous leaders of these two bodies in ‘Lermanus’! \u00a0A welcome product for Hermanus is the recently created Hermanus Wine Route<\/a>, marketing of which will be in the capable hands of Carolyn Martin of Creation.<\/p>\n

9. \u00a0 The Consumer Protection Act<\/a> was introduced in April, and has shown benefits in product deficiencies and returns. \u00a0Little effect has been seen for the tourism industry. \u00a0The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa tried to change its accommodation assessment standards, which caused a huge outcry. \u00a0Despite changing back to what they had before, many accommodation establishments lost faith in the organisation, and have not renewed their accreditation.<\/p>\n

10. \u00a0The wedding of Prince Albert II and Princess Charl\u00e8ne<\/a> in July put South Africa in the world spotlight, not only due to the televised broadcast of the wedding, but also as they celebrated their wedding with a second reception, at The Oyster Box in Umhlanga, now the country’s best known hotel.<\/p>\n

11. \u00a0This year proved that the ‘social’ in Social Media is a misnomer in many respects, but it is the marketing platform which cannot be excluded. \u00a0We celebrated the 10th anniversary of our WhaleTales newsletter<\/a>, the 3rd year of blogging, and our 1000 th blogpost this year. \u00a0We are grateful to our Facebook friends and likers, Twitter followers, and blog and newsletter readers for their support.<\/p>\n

It is hard to predict 2012, and we will go with the flow. \u00a02011 has made us tougher and even more thick-skinned, we have learnt to change with changed tourism times. \u00a0We look forward to a stable world economy, politics, as well as weather in 2012!<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 2\/1<\/strong>: The most read posts on our blog in 2011 were the restaurant winter specials, the Festive Season packages, the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Charl\u00e9ne, the review of Casparus, the restaurant summer specials, the review of Gaaitjie in Paternoster<\/a>, the death in Cape Town of the President of Ferrero Rocher<\/a>, \u00a0the listing of restaurant openings and closures<\/a>, the Consumer Protection Act, and Table Mountain making the New7Wonders of Nature.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a> Twitter:@WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2011: what a year it’s been for the world, South Africa, and Whale Cottage – unpredictable, up and down, and a year in which one had to rethink every way in which one has run one’s business and life. \u00a0Most would say that it’s been one of the worst years ever! \u00a0But despite the tough […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[4795,3,124,20,22,21],"tags":[11659,14492,14365,2803,10891,467,14393,14502,12799,13695,1591,389,822,14131,9216,11247,11644,6142,10145,32370,110,32366,1101,108,85,3294,10055,10735,14498,32378,14503,8978,9579,2521,11123,12426,14497,10812,722,7198,975,14501,2381,13806,32369,7937,4930,14507,226,364,11263,11793,5035,14505,581,8369,2547,595,2503,9540,802,5232,40,11786,13387,3401,8441,8557,11363,3064,14504,1540,10958,7006,14082,12887,534,14052,4217,11932,14458,9520,979,11053,7049,11429,6046,14506,6682,14499,830,12082,3259,13,13742,62,14260,14115,4836,11948,14358,11773,14456,32395,14500,8576,32388,4943,231,1143,12175,4,14508,13289,14442,14496,7956,11767,14051,14495,59,12521,5,101,11404,1587,14494,32393,13838,32373,10,10524,12632,8769,5627,531,7120],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t