Skal Nelson Mandela Bay has proved that the city has the potential to host international conferences.
Knowledge-sharing and skills transfer, together with a combination of like-minded people who are visionaries, are bound to ensure success.
When there are resources available, everything becomes possible.
An international conference centre for Nelson Mandela Bay is a must.
While we have the capacity to bring the world into our shores, we must also be able to think about our grassroot tourism structures.
A bottom-up approach can create a platform and environment for young entrepreneurs to learn more about the industry.
The Nelson Mandela Bay metro is surrounded by small towns that can add value to the industry and also benefit from the spin-offs of hospitality and tourism.
Tourism information centres from these neighbouring towns can learn so much from joint ventures and collaborations.
A city bus, together with the Fort Frederick zipline, can add value to the tourist attractions in our city.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency is doing a great job for our city and they must be supported more.
A collaborative strategy between the Nelson Mandela University, our local business chambers and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality can change the status quo.
Tourism is everybody's business and everyone has to play a part.
I take my hat off to the beachfront businesses partners who are willing to share their knowledge and skills in changing the outlook of the area.
Attention to other beaches by the municipality is a must. Blue flag beaches can bring more visitors to our city.
Community development and participation must be part of the agenda.
The tourism and hospitality industry have the potential to create jobs.
We have proved beyond doubt that we have the potential to become a destination of choice and a city of opportunities.
We operate locally and our energy and impact has touched the hearts of the international Skal community globally.
Our local tourism structures must learn that a dedicated team can make a difference —nothing is impossible if people are singing from the same hymn book.
Skal Nelson Mandela Bay, you have shown us the way.
Your efforts have made the city proud.
We need more international conferences and a dedicated team to market the city worldwide.
The Boardwalk Conference Centre alone cannot accommodate the demand of conferences that we can collectively organise as the city.
It is now time to realise the need for our own international conference centre, together with a proper international airport.
We do understand as citizens that Rome was not built in one day, but with good leadership and visionaries, anything is possible.
Proper planning and implementation is all we need as talk is cheap, and actions speak louder.
I hope November will bring stability and intellectuals, together with visionaries, who will work together and complement each other, without blaming other people.
We need leaders who are not afraid to take the blame and rectify their mistakes.
We all have our factory faults but if we are able to accommodate each other and take our city forward with pride, we can achieve more.
Forward forever, backwards never, otherwise we will lose opportunities and achieve nothing.
Let's make our late President Nelson Mandela rest in peace and smile in his gravesite by hosting international guests with pride, love, hope and trust in a city named after him.
Together we can collectively change the game and attract more visitors to the Bay.
