Cape Town Routes Unlimited incorporated by Wesgro

Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency (Wesgro) CEO Nils Flaatten announced in a letter to tourism industry stakeholders across the province that Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) had now been incorporated into Wesgro to form the new Western Cape Destination Marketing, Investment and Trade Promotion Agency (Wesgro). The allocated budget for the financial year 2012/13 and the fulltime staff complement of CTRU were transferred into Wesgro on 1 April 2012.

All responsibility on Wesgro

Wesgro has now taken responsibility for the delivery of all tourism destination marketing items contained in the 2012/13 annual performance plan (APP). This APP was compiled by the CTRU boards of directors, agreed to by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and submitted to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.

Western Cape Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Alan Winde, Member of the Executive Committee of the Western Cape Government responsible for tourism destination marketing, announced recently that Wesgro would with effect from 1 April 2012 become the single economic development delivery agency of the Western Cape Government, and its official executing agency. This function includes destination marketing.

Flaatten told tourism stakeholders that in tandem with this process the Western Cape Government would commence with the process of repealing the Provincial Tourism Act and amend the Wesgro Act so as to include the new function of tourism destination marketing. "In terms of my reporting lines, as the chief executive, I will continue to report directly to the Wesgro board of directors but will also be required to report to the CTRU board of directors on a quarterly basis. This reporting will include accountability regarding expenditure and performance against predetermined objects and will continue until such time that the Provincial Tourism Act is repealed."