Table 8: Issues relating to potential tourism impacts GENERAL RESPONSE: A detailed Tourism Assessment was undertaken as part of the EIA study (refer to Volume 2, Book 2 of the draft EIA Report). This study indicated that a positive impact on tourism can be expected as a result of the proposed project due to the improvement of access, the inclusion of safety features, the upgrading dangerous interchanges and accesses, and the upgrading of the road. The study undertaken in the Environmental Impact Assessment highlighted in Section 4.6.7 of the tourist impact with respect to the KwaZulu-Natal portion of the N2. The conclusion was that the increase in growth in overnight stays, as well as increase in growth in tourism products will continue at standard levels. Also, experience has indicated that tourists are keen on using the toll road, which speeds up the journey, provides a safer journey (with SOS facilities intermittently placed which is a welcomed requirement in long journeys, as well as the associated businesses such as the Ultra Stop Shops, etc). Hence toll roads also spawn other attractive tourist features that generate tourism. Amount of toll gates from Gauteng holiday makers visiting the south will have to go through amount each toll gate will cost killing tourism in the south to promote north of KZN. This will discourage tourism and settlement to our town. Holiday makers will speed through Toti and surrounds without calling as they will be fed up by having to pay toll so soon after getting on the highway. Local B&B business would be affected and people would move back to Durban B&B s. Less tourists from up north and Gauteng and those regions. Ms. LM Baird Ms Wendy Van Zyl Mr. C Wilsenach Mr. DJ Watson Mr. CL Baird Prospecton Doonheights 181
Holiday makers who are a huge part of our income will visit less frequently due to costs. Tourism will be destroyed. I think it would probably discourage tourism too because tourists are going to want to pass right through when they see the traffic congestion and money they will have to fork out to go from Toti, Umkomaas, Scottburgh, Mnini to Durban and back. It s ludicrous! People who would be interested in visiting our town would rather opt for another location, therefore less tourism. The property value of would drop considerably and it would definitely discourage tourism, being a coastal town largely depends on tourism. Will keep holiday makers away. The Botanical Society of South Africa supports the view expressed by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) that the proposed road would negatively affect the proposed Pondoland Heritage National Park and tourism in general in the region. A number of individual members and the KwaZulu-Natal and Albany Branches of the Botanical Society are strongly opposed to the alignment of the N2 through the Pondoland Centre of Endemism. It will be detrimental as visitors would rather stay in Durban than have to pay toll fees every time they wanted to go somewhere. Holidaymakers bring the much-needed revenue to this area and may seek other resorts with cheaper accesses. Already, people who travel Mrs. BC Greer Mr. David Bond Ms. Sarah Benson Resident: 10 Thomas Holstead, Doonheights Mr. Trevor Du Randt Mr. R & Mrs. E Frank Dr DJ McDonald Deputy Director: Botanical Society of South Africa (E-mail dated 19 September 2002) Ms. Karin Boshoff (Questionnaire Barry and Anna Forbes (E-mail dated 13 Cape Town Bazley Refer to general response above and general response regarding property values. The proposed N2 Wild Coast Toll Road is proposed to form the inland boundary of the Pondoland Park, and will therefore not impact directly on the development of the Park. Discussions with the relevant parties have been held in this regard. 182
to and from Gauteng incur very high toll road costs. By adding more toll gates this could deter our visitors from enjoying the beauty of our coastline. Many new bed and breakfast establishments have recently opened in Kingsway. One of the stated claims of the new toll road is to improve and increase tourism. What visitor will want to stay alongside a road congested with traffic 24 hours a day? The South Coast is reliant on holiday makers for extra revenue and this will deter and negate every cent made. The documentation highlights that the improved access to the Pondoland Coast brought about by the intended realignment of the N2 is likely to increase tourism development options. However little attention is paid to the form this tourism is likely to take. The Pondoland Coast is a wilderness destination of international significance and is internationally competitive. It will cut Toti permanently in half and tourist trade will bypass the area. November 2002) Mrs. Linda Van Tonder (E-mail dated 14/11/02) Mrs. Pam Harvey Mr Duncan Hay Director: Institute of Natural Resources (E-mail dated 14/11/02) Ms DE Harvey: Local resident & WESSA Athlone Park Pietermaritzburg The road project intends to improve the quality of the road through rehabilitation and upgrade of road sections. In the areas where the toll plaza is proposed there will be additional lanes and safety features to ensure that potential congestion is avoided and/or reduced. In addition, use will be made of an electronic toll collection system, where required at certain toll plazas (such as those in the area) in order to reduce the potential for traffic congestion. As such the traffic will ease, current congestion problems such as those in will be solved and a better quality road will be the result. Road safety will also be improved. Any tourism initiatives which are established in the Wild Coast area will be required to obtain approval from the Provincial and local government departments, and will require an EIA to be undertaken. Therefore, the type of tourism initiatives which are established will be at the discretion of these authorities. The Wild Coast SDI currently under the control of DEAT has proposed that nodal development be implemented along the Wild Coast coastline in order to ensure limited development occurs. 183
Simply because tourists expect to pay for travel costs does not justify the levying of this additional expense, fuel, food, accommodation and all other costs of living are increasing exponentially, the addition of increased toll and travel costs is not justified: 1. Tourists visiting South Coast are mostly from KZN, the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumulanga and the Northern Province. These tourists will have already travelled considerable distances and paid excessive tolls to reach the KZN South Coast. Given that the current economic climate prevailing in South Africa today, disposing income is very limited and families have to plan carefully and frugally in order to spend quality holiday time together. Additional costs will negatively impact on this and will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the Tourism Economy on which the South Coast is so reliant. 2. The EIA (Annexure F: Tourism Assessment) indicates no positive impact on tourism is expected as a result of the proposed toll road and tolling therefore a likely negative impact can be expected, since tolling will be introduced. 3. The area is currently highly accessible to all potential tourism markets (it is unlikely that tourists will visit the South Coast from the Eastern Cape), thus the upgraded and tolled road is not going to improve that market. 4. To state that additional tolls are not going to have an impact is unsubstantiated. A negative economical impact on i.e. a lack of visitors and tourists to the area. Mr. SS Govender Umdoni Municipality (Letter dated 14/11/02) Mr. DA Hager Maxprop Countrywide Scottburgh 1. The specialist study undertaken indicated that this would not be the case (refer to Volume 2, Book 2 of the draft EIA Report). 2. The specialist tourism assessment undertaken clearly states that the proposed project will have a significant positive impact on tourism, particularly in the Wild Coast area. The growth in overnight tourists and associated tourism products to KwaZulu-Natal section of the route are not anticipated to be influenced by the project as the tourism market in this area is already well established. Tourist growth rates are, therefore, anticipated to grow at standard growth rates. 3. Comment noted. This is reflected in the tourism study. 4. The conclusions of the tourism study are based on scientific research undertaken by a specialist in the field, and included interviews with tourism operators. Refer to general response and attached socio-economic report. 184
As an owner of a self-catering establishment, I find that the number of people visiting this part of South Africa find it already expensive to travel from say Johannesburg with the amount of toll roads already in place and the price of petrol. This move would be very unjust to the South Coast and beg you to think again the adverse effect it would have on our industry. Chapter 12: The report states that the toll road is in a commercial and industrial area. The impact on this area has not, it is submitted, been fully assessed. It also states that there will be little social impact on the resorts in the area. It is unclear how this conclusion has been arrived at. The corollary of this is that there will be no benefit to the resorts as a result of the development. Further at 12.3.2 it is stated that the toll will have no impact on tourism as 'tourists consider tolling as normal travelling expense'. It is submitted that this is an unsubstantiated generalisation. The visual impact and noise impact reports make no mention of the existing ACCCODA eco-tourism facilities and operations (horse and hiking trail, fly fishing, campsites) in the area and do not assess the impacts on these facilities. Mr. Peter Meachin (Email dated 20 September 2002) Sappi Saiccor (Letter dated 14 November 2002) Mr. Duncan Hay Director: Institute of Natural Resources (Email dated 14/11/02) Umkomaas Pieternaritzburg A detailed tourism impact assessment was undertaken as part of the EIA study (refer to Volume 2, Book 2 of the EIA Report). As part of this study, various tour operators and tourism organisations were consulted, and indicated that 'tourists consider tolling as normal travelling expense'. Comment noted. However, the specialist visual and noise impact studies undertaken within the EIA indicated that the anticipated visual and noise impacts associated with the proposed project are localised, and therefore it is not expected that there will be an impact on these facilities. 185