GQEBERHA – Summerstrand’s newest tourism signage was meant to point visitors in the right direction. It just needed to find its own way first.
Reportedly installed at the Pollock Beach parking area, the sign was pointing visitors in the wrong direction until the error was flagged and corrected this week.
The directional blunder attracted attention on social media, with members of the public questioning whether the arrows were correctly pointing towards the attractions listed.
The PE Express sent questions to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality asking when the new signage was installed, whether it had been erected by the municipality and whether officials were aware that it appeared to have been installed incorrectly.
The municipality confirmed there had been an error with the signage and said it had immediately engaged the service provider responsible for its maintenance and updating.
“The Municipality became aware of an error relating to the signage and immediately engaged the service provider responsible for its maintenance and updating,” it said. According to the municipality, the signage has already been corrected by the service provider.
Officials acknowledged the importance of accurate and reliable tourism signage, saying incorrect information could cause confusion among visitors and negatively affect public confidence and the overall perception of Nelson Mandela Bay as a tourism destination.
“The Municipality remains committed to the regular inspection, maintenance and updating of tourism signage across the city,” it said.
The municipality said all information displayed on tourism signage must be thoroughly checked and verified to ensure it is accurate, relevant and reflective of the destination.
“Following this error, we have reviewed our quality check systems to make sure that such instances do not happen again,” it said.
The municipality did not specify when the signage was originally installed or how much it cost.
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