The Department of Tourism is set to open the last of its R6.7 million Visitor Information Centres (VIC) in Nelspruit.
Deputy tourism minister Tokozile Xasa will officially open the VIC, which utilises features such as touch-screens and Web-based technology, at the end of this month.
The centre will provide a one-stop information service to tourists on a wide range of tourism aspects and will help cities deal with the influx of tourists for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
As part of the national VIC project, centres have been rolled out in host cities: Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. All the other host cities already had tourism information centres.
“The draw of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, on 4 December 2009, indicates that the kick-off of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in SA is now much closer and these facilities and services will enable the VIC to play a meaningful front-line role and enhance tourism marketing,” says Xasa.
The centre will make use of touch-screens linked to a central database, to cater for any tourist information requirements. In addition, plasma screens will display tourism products on offer and advertising for local businesses. The centres will also have information officers at the main desk, free Internet access and an online booking system.
The VIC will also use a visitors' information system, the Visitor Information Centres Enterprise Network System, which was developed by the Department of Tourism. The system will allow users to plan and finalise a travel itinerary by means of touch-screens and Web-based technology. It also offers tourists their own unique itinerary, which is accessible from anywhere in the world.
The IT system will also integrate and standardise the technology component in all centres across the country, to allow the visitor to have a seamless travel experience. It will afford the tourist the ability to access information from any location in one of the five host cities.
“The idea behind the information technology system was to integrate and standardise the technology component throughout SA to allow the visitor to have a seamless travel experience before, during and after the World Cup. It will also afford the visitor the ability to access information from any location in one of the five host cities,” says Xasa.
Tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk previously stated centres would be ready in time for 2010. He also added that smaller businesses would, for the first time, have access to a centralised, standardised and affordable reservation system. Small and medium enterprises will be able to update and control their reservation system, in turn providing up to the minute information to tourists.
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