What will it take to turn Route 56 from a tourism opportunity into an investable economic corridor? That question anchored the final substantive discussions of Day 1 at the Route 56 Tourism Synergy Conference, shifting the focus towards investment readiness, enterprise development and building tourism products that can compete in the market.
Jacqui Taylor of Agritourism Africa highlighted the potential of agritourism to strengthen rural economies, encouraging communities and entrepreneurs to start by identifying and packaging the assets they already have. She emphasised training, sustainability, understanding visitors, collaboration and a strong digital presence as important building blocks for viable tourism businesses.
The broader discussion reinforced the importance of domestic tourism, clearly packaged tourism products and meaningful community participation. Panellists highlighted that infrastructure development must go hand-in-hand with local skills development and opportunities for communities to participate in the economic activity created along the corridor.
For emerging farmers and rural enterprises, the message was equally practical: build from existing local strengths. Agriculture, food, crafts and other community assets can form part of the visitor experience and create additional opportunities for local businesses.
Representatives from Conservation South Africa and SANParks highlighted the importance of protecting the corridor’s biodiversity while creating sustainable livelihoods and ensuring communities are active participants in tourism development.
Youth, skills and sport tourism also emerged strongly. Discussions explored opportunities to leverage existing programmes to develop community-based sport hubs, strengthen collaboration between universities and communities, and use research, digital platforms and destination marketing to create new opportunities for young people.
Tourism entrepreneurs brought the realities of doing business into the conversation, highlighting the potential of community attractions, homestays and locally developed tourism experiences to strengthen rural economies.
The discussion ultimately went beyond creating jobs. Route 56 has an opportunity to develop skills, entrepreneurs and future employers while building an inclusive, safe and compelling visitor experience across the corridor.
For ECDC, these conversations speak directly to the bigger opportunity: moving beyond identifying tourism potential towards developing enterprises, facilitating investment and building sustainable local economies along the Route 56 corridor.
The assets are here. The next step is turning them into investable opportunities.
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