New !Khwa ttu Mountain Bike Trail to Draw Tourism, Create Jobs on the West Coast

This weekend, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, launched a new mountain bike route at the !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre.

The launch was attended by visitors from the surrounding community, who, along with Minister Winde, completed the inaugural 30km route.

Reaching across fences to bring neighbours together, !Khwa ttu’s new 30km mountain bike trail is expected to attract visitors to the Cape West Coast and support growth and jobs in the area.

With the cooperation of Ormonde Wine Estate, !Khwa ttu is set to follow global trends, capitalizing on the 195% growth in adventure tourism from 2010-2013 (UNWTO Global Report on Adventure Tourism 2014).

Speaking at the launch, Minister Winde said: “The !Khwa ttu mountain bike route has its all - single track, jeep track, farm roads, relaxed riding, technical sections, fast moving terrain, game viewing and beautiful scenery. This is a great addition to the growing number of quality routes in our province.

Speaking of his recent plan to transform the Western Cape into an international cycling hub, he added: “This route is a wonderful contribution to our cycling offering. It will no doubt contribute to the appeal of our destination and to my goal of making our province a cycling mecca.”

Launch guests welcomed news of the !Khwa ttu mountain bike trail, expressing  excitement about new cycling opportunities in the area and the anticipated growth in tourism, which would indirectly benefit their businesses.

Michael Diaber, manager of !Khwa ttu, said that he hoped the trail would bring direct benefit to !Khwa ttu and surrounding businesses: “One major benefit of cycling tourism is that it equates to money spent in rural towns and in more economically disadvantaged areas. Many of the people traveling to a trail spend one or more nights in the area. !Khwa ttu believes that a great mountain bike trail does not just satisfy local riders, it can also attract tourists from far and wide, revitalize local economies, and put a destination on the map.” 

According to Mr Daiber, good facilities, friendly staff and fun activities like mountain biking are the secret to a quality visitor experience and attracting visitors from further afield.

Minister Winde encouraged cyclists of all levels to visit !Khwa ttu: “In addition to a well-rounded, quality adventure experience, you will be contributing to growth and jobs in the area."