I am BACK Says Mariette
Thursday, 17 Apr, 2010
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Mother City’s new Mum returns to take the tourism helm just in time for football frolics
Mariette du Toit-Helmbold has just returned to the top job in tourism in the Mother City, after becoming a mother herself for the first time. Daughter, Hannah, is now four and a half months old, and du Toit-Helmbold says her maternity leave provided a perfect opportunity for her to gain some fresh perspectives on life, and the future of tourism in the Western Cape.
“It’s been good to be able to almost sit back and be an ‘outsider’ for a while, to be a consumer of tourism, for a change” she says. “It’s been interesting, and a privilege, to see how things unfold in this city. I am extremely proud of the way the Cape Town Tourism team managed in my absence. One of the lessons I learnt was that things don’t come to a grinding halt when I am not physically involved”.
She says her role as CEO can only be complemented by the fact that she is now a mother. “I think it has forced a sense of balance into my life, and given me a new perspective on things”.
And about the FIFA World Cup and its benefits…
“We have to make sure that we use the World Cup as leverage for economic development. And for us, the single biggest opportunity around the World Cup relates to the media. It’s a media event, and it’s about the stories and pictures the world will see, while sitting in their lounges back at home. So, although there will be short term benefits from hosting the World Cup, in terms of those 250 000-350 000 people whose immediate spend will be extremely beneficial, the greatest benefit will be to ensure that the perceptions of the world about our country are changed.
She says unlike Germany, “we don’t have to persuade the world that we are friendly”. Rather, we have to persuade the world that we are sophisticated and capable of hosting large-scale, world class events like the World Cup.
On the thorny issue of crime, du Toit-Helmbold says: “There are parts of our city that are extremely safe. We have one of the safest central city areas in the world, places where we can walk during the day. We have seen major improvements over the past few years, but like any other city in the world, we do have safety issues.
“In a city where you have such wealth, juxtaposed with such poverty, you will always have social issues. But these are isolated to specific areas in Cape Town, and if you are armed (excuse the pun) with some good common sense and knowledge, make use of good local guides and just generally do what you would have done at home, you should be fine”.
She admits a lot of harm can be done by sensationalism around incidents of crime, and some media reports about isolated events can be skewed.
“I think it’s about perception management, and reputation management, globally. We also need to be secure in the knowledge that we have an excellent policing system, and that everything possible is being done by the police, in partnership with many international safety forces, to make sure that Cape Town and South Africa are safe, in the lead-up to and during the World Cup”.
The CEO says there is a widespread sense of optimism in Cape Town around the city’s ability to host the event. “I think many people are surprised that our stadium was finished almost six months in advance of the event, that our road infrastructure is coming on line, and so on. We do tend to be pessimists, when it comes to development, don’t we? It’s nice to be proven wrong every now and then!”
She says it’s wonderful to be living in Cape Town at this time in the city’s history when it is going through a “transformation and an evolution”.
“The intangible benefits include sustained economic development. We need to make sure that this continues in the years after the World Cup. But the fact that the world has taken notice of us, on such a massive platform as the World Cup, will definitely have long term benefits for us, particularly in the tourism industry”.
Another benefit will be a newfound sense of civic pride. “I often say that our biggest problem in South Africa is a lack of security about who we really are – a lack of confidence in who we are. We always think it’s better if it’s an imported product, or when we get an international consultant to do a job, because they are ‘bound to know more than we do’. I really think it’s time for us to realise that we are fabulous. This is an incredible country, we have great skills, we are capable people, and I think pulling the World Cup off successfully will be a confidence booster for all South Africans”.
She believes it is essential that ordinary Capetonians take part in the event, in order for it to be a success. If this does not happen, it will be “a very sterile, plastic event. That’s why right from the beginning, we identified citizens’ engagement, and citizens’ participation as a key project for Cape Town Tourism”.
She says it is easy for an event like the World Cup to sideline local people, which is why Cape Town Tourism is working so hard to ensure that the event embraces the city’s people as much as possible.
Asked what she believes the things are that people will most remember about Cape Town, she says: “Cape Town’s scenic beauty is something that takes your breath away. But I hope that people’s lasting impression will be around the people of this city, the warmth of their welcome and the generosity of their hospitality”.
She says the quirkiness of local people, their sense of humour, colourful nature and tolerance are things that money can’t buy. “If the welcome isn’t generous, and genuine, then we will have a problem. Like any visitor, when we travel around the world, there’s nothing better than meeting a few locals over a beer at a local pub, hearing their stories and listening to their woes and achievements. That gives you a real sense of place. It’s about more than the scenic attractions. Ultimately, the human beings who make a destination what it is are what we remember most”.
So, just why is Cape Town great?
If someone had to put a gun to her head and demand that she tell them the three things she loves most about Cape Town, this is what she will say: “Cape Town is down to earth. It’s a very real city, and I love that about Cape Town. You can be yourself. There’s a sense of human quirkiness about the place that’s just lovely.
“Also, the proximity of nature to the city – the fact that you can be in your office one minute, and on the beach ten minutes later, or climbing Lion’s Head, or sipping a sundowner at Boulders or Clifton…that is something really special about Cape Town.
“Also, the fact that this is such a cosmopolitan city, truly a world in one city – the place where Africa meets the world – is truly wonderful. Cape Town is almost half European and half African. And it works! It’s got a great flavor, and it’s unlike any other city in Africa. It’s not fully African, and it’s not fully European. I like to say it’s cosmopolitan-African”.
You’ve got a tough job, Mariette!
Asked to list the more challenging aspects of her job, she says: “I have a great job. A lot of people say you can’t really call marketing a city like Cape Town a job. But it’s also a tough job. In any position like this, you are public property. And that does get to you at times, when everyone feels they own you, that they have a bit of you.
“It’s about long days, and you can never switch off, no matter where you are. You carry your job, and the job carries you. That’s a tough part of the job.
She says she is proud to see that people in Cape Town are embracing their city more and more every day, and the pride with which they do this. “It makes me incredibly proud that Cape Town is consistently name one of the top ten cities in the world. For a small city, on the very tip of the African continent, that’s a huge achievement.
But at the end of the day, it’s the people of Cape Town who make the city what it is.
She says it also makes her proud that Cape Town Tourism is recognised globally as a best practice tourism organisation, “and to work for a company like this, and to set it all up, is a huge privilege”.
As the Mother of all cities prepares to adorn herself with a cloak of many colours, for the Mother of all parties in June, this dynamic CEO is determined to continue to steer tourism in the city to ever loftier heights…
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