WESSA Coastal Newsletter March 2021

WESSA TBF Project Manager, Morgan Griffiths, shared his concern of how the tourism industry had significantly contracted due to Covid-19 impacts; however he was encouraged at how the graduating stewards have earned themselves a place in the blue- green economy, helping to develop a more sustainable future for themselves and for their local communities. A key element of their training, which continued virtually over lockdowns, was how to start their own small businesses to create innovative tourism products. Of the youth who exited the programme over the course of the year, a number left to start their own small businesses or took up full-time employment. WESSA is proud to implement this highly impactful youth development programme, and together with our stakeholders, the National Department of Tourism, municipalities, and private host institutions, will induct a new group of 104 Tourism Blue Flag Beach Stewards in early March 2021.

22 Eastern Cape & Garden Route youth at the TBF graduation ceremony in Port Elizabeth.

I6 Western Cape youth at the TBF graduation ceremony in Cape Town.

Western Cape hosts, WESSA staff and TBF stakeholders pictured at the graduation ceremony in Cape Town.