The Department of Tourism has opened its R7.6 million Visitor Information Centre (VIC), in Rustenburg.
The centre was set up in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup as the country gears up for the influx of tourists during the event. As part of the national VIC project, centres are being rolled out in five host cities: Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Rustenburg and Bloemfontein.
These provinces were earmarked by the department to give authorities and visitors easy access to their facilities and attractions. The department has already opened centres in Port Elizabeth and Polokwane.
“VICs play an important role in tourism marketing and leveraging the tourism benefits to all players in the tourism industry, because they expose visitors and domestic tourists to choices they would not easily access before, since some tourism businesses lack resources for marketing,” says Tokozile Xasa, deputy tourism minister.
The centre will make use of touch-screens linked to a central database to cater for any tourist information requirements. In addition, plasma screens display the tourism products on offer and advertisements of local businesses. The centres will also have information officers at the main desk, free Internet access and an online booking system.
“Apart from assisting tourist navigation of our country, which will result in a tourism boom, we are eager to introduce a system that complies with and will exceed international standards through its continuous improvements,” notes Xasa.
The Rustenburg VIC is fitted with the Visitor Information Centres Enterprise Network System and connected to a fully-equipped local area network to provide information such as accommodation, travel, shopping centres, car rentals and a host of other tourism facilities and services.
The information and reservation system will allow users to plan and finalise a travel itinerary by means of touch-screens and Web-based technology.
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