Beyond the Big Attractions: Garden Route & Frontier Campaign Connects Travel Trade with Local Tourism Stories
Press Release supplied by Streamline Tourism Marketing & Events
The people, places and stories behind a destination are just as important as its well-known attractions. This was the message at the heart of the Garden Route & Frontier Exploration campaign, hosted by Streamline Tourism Marketing & Events (STME) from 4 to 7 November 2026.
The four-day initiative brought together tour operators, travel consultants and media representatives to experience tourism offerings across Tsitsikamma and Addo, with a focus on connecting the travel trade to both established attractions and smaller, locally owned businesses.
Built around the principle of CONNECT. TELL. SELL., the campaign aimed to create meaningful relationships between tourism businesses and the people who can introduce their products to new markets. By experiencing destinations and activities first-hand, participants gained a deeper understanding of the region and the stories they can share with future visitors.
Discovering the many sides of Tsitsikamma
The Tsitsikamma programme showcased the area's variety of adventure, nature, culture and community-based tourism experiences.
Participants kayaked and liloed with Untouched Adventures on the Storms River and took part in activities at Bloukrans Bungy. The programme also included Silent Ride Tours and quad biking at Tsitsikamma Adventure Land.
The itinerary extended beyond the established attractions to introduce participants to the people and businesses that give Tsitsikamma its character. At Stanley Grootboom's Khoisan Art Studio, the group explored local heritage and cultural stories through the internationally acclaimed artist's work. The visit included potjiekos and malva pudding, enjoyed at the studio.
At Kasi Corner, participants experienced a kasi-style braai with pap and chakalaka, while local entrepreneur Loyiso Njadayi of LJ Authentic Eats introduced the group to his roosterbrood burgers.
These experiences formed an important part of the campaign's approach: ensuring that smaller tourism businesses are included in the wider destination story and have opportunities to connect with travel trade representatives, build relationships and reach new markets.
The group spent two nights in Tsitsikamma National Park, using the park as a base from which to explore the surrounding destination.
From Tsitsikamma to Addo
The journey continued to Addo, where participants experienced the wildlife and conservation offering of Addo Elephant National Park.
The group spent one night in the park, staying in family cottages and chalets. The programme included a guided game drive, led by guide Siya, whose knowledge and passion added greatly to the experience, as well as a visit to the Ulwazi Interpretative Centre.
Together, the experiences across Tsitsikamma and Addo gave participants a broader understanding of the region's tourism offering, from adventure and wildlife to heritage, culture and local hospitality.
Creating opportunities through collaboration
For STME, bringing businesses of different sizes into the same programme is an important part of making destination marketing more inclusive.
Lee-Marque Jansen, from Streamline Tourism Marketing & Events, said: "We want people to experience the full story of a destination. That means going beyond the attractions everyone already knows and creating opportunities for visitors and the travel trade to meet the people behind the smaller businesses too. Their stories matter, and their products deserve to be part of the conversation.
"When a tour operator or travel consultant experiences something for themselves, they can speak about it with confidence. They leave with more than a brochure or a photograph; they leave with a real experience they can share and recommend. That is what CONNECT. TELL. SELL. means to us."
SANParks and the importance of connected destinations
SANParks played an important role in the campaign, with the group spending two nights in Tsitsikamma National Park and one night in Addo Elephant National Park. The opportunity to experience both parks also allowed participants to explore the tourism businesses and communities connected to these destinations.
The campaign's engagement with SANParks included Yoliswa Matwa, Marketing Officer, Rosslee Wagenaar, Tourism Manager for Addo Elephant National Park, and Phuti Namethe, Tourism Manager for Tsitsikamma. Their involvement reflected the importance of collaboration between national parks, tourism businesses and the wider travel trade.
Yoliswa Matwa, Marketing Officer for the Garden Route and Frontier Region of SANParks, highlighted the importance of these partnerships and their connection to the organisation's Vision 2040. “At SANParks, we recognise that national parks are part of a much bigger tourism offering. It is important for us to work with tourism partners and local businesses to create meaningful connections and ensure that visitors can experience the value of the destinations surrounding our parks.”
"Initiatives like the Garden Route & Frontier Exploration campaign support the spirit of our Vision 2040 by encouraging collaboration, building stronger relationships and creating opportunities for more people and businesses to participate in the tourism economy. By working together, we can contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future for tourism," says Matwa.
Partnerships that brought the campaign together
The Garden Route & Frontier Exploration campaign was made possible through collaboration with Sarah Baartman District Municipality, South African National Parks (SANParks), Chumile Travel and Tours and Craze Zone Events.
Chumile Travel and Tours, founded and led by Violet Lupuwana, was the campaign's transport partner. Lupuwana believes that tourism growth depends on businesses working together and supporting initiatives that create opportunities across the sector.
"Partnerships like these are important because tourism cannot grow in isolation. We need to support one another, create opportunities and build relationships that allow businesses across the industry to grow. When we work together, we are not only supporting one campaign; we are contributing to the bigger picture of tourism development and creating opportunities for businesses and communities to benefit."
Craze Zone Events documented the campaign through photography and videography, capturing the experiences, people and stories throughout the four days. The content will be shared through campaign platforms and made available to participating businesses and partners to support their own marketing efforts.
Building a stronger tourism future together
Reflecting on the value of initiatives that bring the region's tourism stakeholders together, Ms Pumeza Tanga, Tourism and Marketing Manager at Sarah Baartman District Municipality, emphasised the importance of ensuring that tourism growth creates opportunities for local businesses and communities.
"Tourism growth cannot happen in isolation. It takes collaboration, commitment and a shared vision to build destinations that are not only attractive to visitors but also create meaningful opportunities for the people who live and work in them. We need to look beyond the well-known attractions and recognise the value of our local businesses, our communities and the stories that make our destinations unique. When we connect these businesses to the right markets and work together, we create opportunities that can have a lasting impact on our region." Tanga says.
Although the campaign took place over four days, its intended impact extends well beyond the visit. Through the relationships established, the experiences shared and the content captured, the initiative aims to create lasting exposure and new opportunities for tourism businesses across the region.
For STME, the message is simple: when the travel trade connects with the people and experiences behind a destination, the stories travel further, more businesses gain visibility, and the entire tourism offering becomes stronger. CONNECT. TELL. SELL.
Issued by:
Lee-Marque Jansen – Co-Owner & MD of Streamline Tourism Marketing and Events
Email: lee-marquej@streamlinesa.co.za
