{"id":39222,"date":"2012-12-31T06:55:59","date_gmt":"2012-12-31T04:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=39222"},"modified":"2013-08-07T13:13:18","modified_gmt":"2013-08-07T11:13:18","slug":"2012-a-year-of-tourism-ups-and-downs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/2012-a-year-of-tourism-ups-and-downs\/","title":{"rendered":"2012: a year of Tourism ups and downs!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Looking back at 2012 on the last day of the year, every business will be grateful that it is still around, given that the international world is still in recession, and the impact thereof has made itself felt in South Africa too. \u00a0 It is heartening that fewer hospitality businesses closed their doors this year, but it is clear that fewer restaurants have opened, and few top-end ones in particular. \u00a0 So what stood out in 2012?:<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 The worst winter season ever for the hospitality industry, following a poor winter 2011, not just related to the poor economy and traditional Seasonality<\/a>, but also to the exceptionally wet winter, which deterred Johannesburgers from coming to the Cape, and prevented Capetonians from taking weekends off in Western Cape towns and villages.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 No marketing of Cape Town and the Western Cape. Cape Town Routes Unlimited was amalgamated into Wesgro<\/a> in April, yet no visible marketing has been done for the province, and no Tourism Director has been appointed, a serious fail! \u00a0 Cape Town Tourism’s funder, the City of Cape Town, \u00a0withdrew the tourism body’s destination marketing mandate<\/a>, and chopped a few million Rands off the budget, as a sign of no-confidence. \u00a0The City promptly set up its own Tourism, Events and Marketing department <\/a>under Anton Groenewald, its Executive Director, the main task being to urgently make the City asset, the Cape Town Stadium, financially viable. \u00a0 Consequently neither Cape Town Tourism nor the City of Cape Town has done any marketing of Cape Town! \u00a0This will make itself felt next year, Cape Town currently only selling itself by visitor recommendation, not being strong enough to address the oversupply of accommodation in Cape Town.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 Shock was expressed when SAA cut its London – Cape Town route<\/a>, yet does not appear to have affected UK business to Cape Town, given how depressed tourism from the UK still is, for the second year running.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 A surprise has been the virtual shutdown of all major businesses, tourism attractions, and restaurants over the festive season, on Christmas Day in particular. \u00a0We cannot understand that the management of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company<\/a>, the V&A Waterfront,<\/a> Cape Town Tourism<\/a> and many other tourism businesses can have been on holiday while Cape Town was at its fullest last week, and tourists experienced severe inconvenience and shocking service from their businesses as a result.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 The judging process of the 2012 Eat Out<\/strong> Top 10 Restaurants <\/a>was a debacle for the second year running, with its editor Abigail Donnelly demonstrating extreme favouritism to Chef Luke Dale-Roberts, featuring him in each edition of Woolworths’ Taste<\/strong> magazine (no other chef in our country is featured more than once a year, if at all!). \u00a0Mrs Donnelly included Chef Luke’s The Pot Luck Club in her Top 20 restaurant shortlist, when it had not been open for a full 12 months, the most important rule of the competition, known to Mrs Donnelly, and was accepted by Chef Luke! \u00a0The restaurant had to be withdrawn from the competition as a result. To improve her image as a result of the 2011 Restaurant Award bias issues (Makaron and The Table at De Meye), Mrs Donnelly made the fatal error of choosing UK restaurant blogger Bruce Palling<\/a>, who insulted our country’s cuisine, springbok in particular, and ourselves in daring to criticise him for having been chosen by Eat Out.<\/strong> In the period between his visit to South Africa in September and the gala awards evening in November, New Media Publishing and Palling had fallen out, which meant that he did not attend the ceremony! The Top 10 list was boring, with little new blood, and contained surprise inclusions and rankings. \u00a0But it was Mrs Donnelly’s ‘editor’s choice’<\/em> of Saigon as the top Asian restaurant in South Africa that made her the laughing stock of the restaurant industry. \u00a0Unfortunately for her she was unable to blame Palling for this misguided choice! \u00a0We have called for her removal from Eat Out<\/strong>, given that she has no credibility amongst most restaurant owners and chefs anymore.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 Despite the tough times, it was a delight to see Burrata<\/a> opening at the Old Biscuit Mill, owned by Neil Grant, previously of Rust en Vrede. \u00a0He has created a friendly Italian-style restaurant, which has already been named the best emerging Italian restaurant in Africa and the Middle East. \u00a0Other new openings that have made a difference in Cape Town include I Love my Laundry<\/a>, Tamboers Winkel<\/a>, Orphanage<\/a>, De Grendel Restaurant,<\/a> and Camphors at Vergelegen<\/a>. Bizerca Bistrot’s move to the Gourmet Burger premises appears to be of benefit. \u00a0 Franschhoek has seen four new restaurant openings in December alone, being The Rotisserie at Leopard’s Leap<\/a>, The Stall<\/a>, Sacred Ground<\/a>, and the Antipasto Bar at Antonjie Rupert Wines’<\/a> new tasting room at the previous Graham Beck tasting room. \u00a0Surprise closures were two Caveau restaurants, and Paulaner Brauhaus.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 Franschhoek may have lost its title as Gourmet Capital, but it certainly is strengthening its reputation as Wine Capital of the country, having made Platter Winery of the Year in 2012 (Boekenhoutskloof) and in 2013 (Chamonix)<\/a>. \u00a0La Motte was named the best wine tourism wine estate for the second year running by the Great Wine Capitals of the World, while Tokara won the best Wine restaurant accolade two years running. \u00a0The closing down of the Graham Beck tasting room in Franschhoek has been a loss for the village, ironically just as the village is to launch a Cap Classique and Champagne Route<\/a>.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 MasterChef SA<\/a> delighted, and captured attention, even if many viewers were critical of the judges, and were disappointed in the level of the cuisine. We have loved meeting many of the contestants. \u00a0It was the death knell for Chef Reuben Riffel’s reputation, endorsing Robertsons’ spices, and cost Sonia Cabano a very short-lived career as Social Media Manager of Robertsons.<\/a><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 The Jubilee celebration and two Olympic celebrations, with their Opening and Closing ceremonies, made for entertaining television, and especially when combined with Twitter. \u00a0Twitter has established itself as a vital element of Social Media marketing and communications, but the ability of vituperative Tweeters to vent their anger and abuse on others without consequence remains a problem.<\/p>\n

We thank your suppliers, and Pick ‘n Pay in particular, without whom we cannot operate our business, and our loyal guests for supporting us this year. \u00a0 We acknowledge all businesses that buck the trend, and try hard to offer excellent service. We thank our loyal blog readers for their support, and for the comments sent, even if challenging at times! \u00a0We wish all of you a festive New Year’s Eve celebration.<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 7\/8: \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>\u00dcber controversial\u00a0Eat Out<\/strong>\u00a0Top 10 Restaurant 2012 international judge\u00a0Bruce Palling<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has left the\u00a0Wall Street Journal Europe\u00a0<\/strong>and has joined Perowne Charles Communications\u00a0<\/strong>to set up its food and drink division. \u00a0‘Palling will lead PCC\u2019s account team representing well-known food and drinks brands, Michelin-star chefs as well as new launches, with clients including Epicure at Le Bristol Paris and Aziamendi at Iniala Beach House in Phuket<\/em>‘. \u00a0Funny is reading the agency’s blogpost about\u00a0Palling’s appointment<\/strong><\/a>, clearly written by him and how he quotes his\u00a0Eat Out<\/strong>\u00a0excursion in his ‘CV’<\/em>!<\/p>\n

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

Looking back at 2012 on the last day of the year, every business will be grateful that it is still around, given that the international world is still in recession, and the impact thereof has made itself felt in South Africa too. \u00a0 It is heartening that fewer hospitality businesses closed their doors this year, […]<\/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":[4795,3,124,14,20,22,516,21,293],"tags":[14509,17906,15544,5318,20222,17955,389,16417,9534,17150,17956,108,32397,85,2376,1386,32378,257,6301,12308,16589,226,15327,99,1540,20220,555,14082,32404,651,2880,2875,5954,15359,2554,20217,20216,957,387,727,1347,10151,17568,13350,2394,4860,32388,107,16065,9799,14495,17781,17567,14696,59,283,515,32387,32373,171],"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