Mahikeng. The North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) hosted cultural tourism development seminar under the theme” The year of Charlotte Maxeke: Celebrating South Africa’s Intangible Cultural Heritage” with tourism stakeholders, in Mahikeng recently.
The seminar which forms part of Tourism Month programme seeks to stimulate culture and heritage as pillars of the tourism sector in the province. This will be leveraged to demonstrate the rich history of the province and showcase its diversity to tourists and local communities.
Mr. Gabriel Dichabe; Director: Tourist Guiding said the Department is responsible for the regulation of tourist guiding and therefore have to empower them to be well informed and able to share information that portrays the beauty of North West as a cultural and heritage province.
“Through this seminar we are creating a platform for our tourist guides especially those promoting cultural tourism to be able to mediate between the attractions by interpreting the cultural sites, museum artefact or intangible heritage to the tourists,” said Dichabe.
Dichabe indicated that they have invited experts to come and share their knowledge on true stories and authentic interpretations of culture and history of the province and the country at large.
The content gathered during the seminar will be used as repository of knowledge about cultural and heritage sites found in all the districts of North West. Department will package the information into various materials which will be shared with all tour guides and other relevant stakeholders within the tourism industry.
Amongst the presenters were Kgosi Jeffrey Montshioa of Barolong boora Tshidi who shared the lineage of Barolong boora Tshidi and the role of traditional leadership in governance. He further spoke about how people and animals were healed by traditional healers before the concept of witchcraft which people believe in nower days.
Participants were equipped with knowledge on culture and heritage sites by finest minds and practitioners which include Mr Mpho Molapisi of the Lichtenburg Agriculture and Cultural museum, as well as by multiple award winning cultural tour guide; Mr Mncedise Thambe who gave insights into the case study of Mphebatho Museum as a leading heritage product in the Province. Furthermore a linkage between cultural tourism and indigenous knowledge systems was presented focusing on the uniqueness of the Batswana culture. The province need to explore indigenous knowledge systems in cultural and natural as it would create a unique tourism destination in Mahikeng as capital city of the province.
Mr. Pablo Mogotsi, a cultural tour guide, focused on exploring indigenous knowledge systems in the cultural, historical and natural heritage of Mahikeng as a unique cultural tourism destination.
The seminar came up with ways of promoting culture tourism which has now been of interest to the international tourists and also to young people who have seen opportunity in the tourism sector. This includes customs and traditions of the people, heritage, history and way of life.
In his concluding remarks Mr. Dichabe highlighted the fact that the department together with Tourism Board will package information for utilization of tour guides which focus on indigenous knowledge, traditional practices, places, objects, artefacts and more in order to mediate between the attraction, by interpreting culture and intangible heritage for the tourists.
Source: Government of South Africa