The Cango Caves have suffered a great loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the Oudtshoorn Municipality is in the process of developing an economic recovery plan to try and save the national treasure.
Due to the pandemic and hard 2020 lockdown regulations, the tourism landmark could not generate revenue as both local and international visitors weren’t able to visit the attraction.
To help revive the attraction, special rates will be offered and authorities will focus on attracting school groups.
Yesterday’s highlight was a tour through the Cango Caves. It’s been on my bucketlist for years and only now have I had the opportunity to see them. The chambers are impressive and these ‘organ pipes’ equally so.
So sad to see a viable tourism spot be so empty like a ghost town. pic.twitter.com/r8tlQMBiRH— roamingfox | Alma (@roaming_fox) May 14, 2021
SABC reported that visitor numbers have dropped from 250 000 to 7 300 annually. ‘To ensure that we get that market we have to lower out tariffs. So to make provision for that we also going to look to school groups and getting those school groups and at the same time in order to do that we have to adapt as well. And I know our tourism sector has discussed it with all our role players and they decided they going to assist us in this regard in coming up with package deals,’ says Oudtshoorn Mayor, Chris MacPherson.
Tourism Deputy Minister Fish Mahlalela visited the Cango Caves during his two-day visit to the Garden Route and Klein Karoo districts recently. Mahlalela visited some of the Western Cape’s most acclaimed tourist spots as part of the plan to open them up and to encourage domestic travel.
Deputy Minister Fish Mahlalela visited the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, as part of his Domestic Tourism Activation Campaign. This natural wonder is world renowned for its spectacular tunnels, chambers and rock formations.#TourismBudgetVote2021#TourismRecovery#WeDoTourism pic.twitter.com/G67SZiDYRv
— Dept of Tourism (@Tourism_gov_za) May 15, 2021
PICTURE: Twitter
