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Congrats Gansbaai! Gold award for Best Destination for Responsible Tourism 2015

Thursday, 05 November 2015
Author: Jaydee Media
Travel Blog
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Gansbaai on the Whale Coast Route and part of the Overberg in South Africa is like an oyster that the local fishermen have opened only to discover a pearl inside - but that they then go on to share with all the world.

harbour lrg

Photo: Cape Whale Coast

The town Gansbaai is named after the Egyptian geese, home to many of them. Samson Dyers who lived on the Island that bears his name used it as a base to store his seal skins during 1807 to 1840. In 1881 Johannes Cornelis settled in Gansbaai to fish.

Today Gansbaai transformed itself from fishing village to one of South Africa's most exciting, and community led adventure hubs, a process that has been led by the Gansbaai Tourism Association.

Responsible Travel we know that responsible destinations don't just happen. People make them happen. The Gansbaai Tourism Association is one of South Africa's most proactive and passionate clusters of tourism businesses, from fishermen to fynbos conservationists

The driven committed members of Gansbaai Tourism Association have been putting this coastal community and biodiverse natural heritage on the map for the last twenty years and all are committed to protecting the natural environment, preserving heritage, improving the quality of life of local people, and strengthening the local economy. Shark cage diving, kayaking, responsible whale watching, horse riding, fynbos safaris, and hiking are just a few of the holidays experiences to be had in this area that used to be just a quiet fishing village..
Starting with a small fishing village at its core, many of the tourism business members are Fair Trade Tourism certified.

whaleh 2 Great White Sharks are powerful swimmers capable of going 50 kph

Responsible tourism businesses and Fair Trade members include Grootbos Private Penguins boulders 14 Nature Reserve, one of the first members of the prestigious Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. Dyer Island Conservation Trust founded in 2006 by two Association members, Marine Dynamics to fund conservation studies into the big 5 marine animals and emphasis on African penguins, southern right whales, dolphins and great white sharks. The Trust has also opened the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary for rehabilitation of injured, oiled and diseased seabirds.