Tourism development within the Drakenstein municipal area is currently still at planning stage, with progress underway on the Draft Tourism Development Plan and the establishment of the Tourism Advisory Board which was announced in May this year during a public meeting at Laborie Wine Estate. These initiatives form part of the DM’s efforts to strengthen and revitalise the tourism sector in the valley.
DM’s previous strategies relating to tourism development in the valley has been met with scrutiny, with many business owners in the tourism sector of the opinion DM does not fulfil its mandate to grow the tourism industry.
Tourism in the valley has been a subject of contention in recent years, particularly following the closure of the Drakenstein Local Tourism Association (DLTA) in 2022 after the municipality withdrew its funding. Since then the municipality has sought to implement various strategies to revitalise the tourism sector, to align its efforts with those of neighbouring municipalities such as Stellenbosch and Breede Valley, as Paarl Post previously reported.
The Tourism Advisory Board will enable the private sector to provide input and guidance to the DM on matters relating to the valley’s tourism industry.
According to Seraj Johaar, DM’s Executive Director of Corporate and Planning Services, the DM’s draft Tourism Development Plan was advertised for public comment over a 30-day period, which closed on 30 July 2025.
“The compiled list of comments will be submitted to the council in September,” he said.
Relating to the Tourism Advisory Board, the council will decide on how to choose members for it, after which a “panel of experts” will oversee this selection process.
Once they are appointed these panellists will conduct interviews to select candidates for the advisory board. The list of chosen candidates will then be sent back to the council for official approval. The Tourism Advisory Board is expected to be announced officially by November 2025.
“Once the panel is appointed interviews will be conducted [and] the list of successful candidates will subsequently be submitted to [DM’s] council for ratification,” Johaar said.
According to David Frost, chairperson of Paarl’s Ratepayers’ Association, he his name had been put forward to serve on the board, not necessarily because of a background in tourism but because he believed his managerial experience would be of value.
André Fourie, an FF Plus councillor in the DM and an advocate for tourism promotion in the valley, said while tourism development planning was underway it was concerning that the establishment of the Tourism Advisory Board was taking so long to be finalised.
He added that the Draft Tourism Plan was well-conceived and -received.
