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Make use of paradise syndrome to keep to... |
Make use of paradise syndrome to keep tourists in the Cape's clutchesTHE medical profession would never admit ignorance when faced with an affliction that is difficult to diagnose. For this reason (and I suspect that the idea started in the United States) they often resort to inventing names for conditions they have never come across before. By simply adding the word "syndrome", a wild guess suddenly takes on the gravity of a convincing medical diagnosis. For example, a person who compulsively wastes somebody else's money on fripperies could be said to be suffering from "Sarafina syndrome". The term "paradise syndrome" has already been coined in California, and it describes the listless and confused feeling the patient gets when faced with too much of a good thing. Cape Town is about the worst possible place to visit if you wish to avoid "paradise syndrome". I have just returned from a few weeks there and a wet Monday back in litter-strewn Gauteng has cured me from what could have become a terminal case. Cape Town is, quite simply, too good to be true. As you may recall, I decided to take six months off work this year (outplacing myself in the mobility pool as the management gurus call it) to travel and pursue a more hedonistic lifestyle, and I started with a trip to the mother city. I am occasionally accused in the letters pages of being a reactionary and of having no confidence in the new order. Nothing could be further from the truth, of course, and as long ago as 1993 I affirmed my faith in a changing South Africa by buying a flat in Cape Town. In case you should think that I am bragging because I had the foresight to buy before prices rocketed, I should point out that the same amount invested in Coronation shares would now be worth about R8-million so, although the price of the flat has risen some 70%, the decision could hardly be called financially shrewd. MOST of January has been spent walking on almost deserted golden beaches and making momentous executive decisions like trying to decide whether to watch the sun set from Signal Hill or the beach at Clifton. When I wasn't in Cape Town I travelled on splendid scenic roads exploring the winelands, drove through the spectacular Tradouw Pass and took the garden route through The Wilderness and Knysna. I stayed in bed and breakfast establishments on my journey, some costing as little as R70 a night. Without exception they were comfortable and well furnished and the owners seemed keen to make their guest's visit as pleasant as possible. Back in Cape Town, superbly appointed new luxury hotels like the Cape Grace at the Waterfront have sprung up almost overnight. Here is a hotel where the average age of the staff can't be more than 25 and where your personal likes and dislikes are noted and entered on a central computer. Should you return as a guest to the hotel in a year's time, they will remember that you have a wheat allergy but that you loved the creme brulee. A simple but effective way of making a guest feel special. Capetonians are forever complaining about restaurants. Either the decor is too modern, the light fittings offensive or the food and wine are too expensive. As usual, Capetonians don't know how lucky they are. Restaurant food prices are generally lower than in Johannesburg and the wine prices are a steal by comparison. Convert them to hard currencies, of course, and the foreign visitor can eat a five-star meal here for the price of a bar snack in his own country. MAYBE I was incredibly lucky, but in every restaurant I visited the food was extremely good and the service friendly and efficient. Whether it is a visit to Kirstenbosch or to the Two Oceans Aquarium, the message is exactly the same; Cape Town is trying very hard to be tourist friendly. The provincial administration knows it is sitting on one of the country's greatest assets and so the streets are cleaned regularly, the beaches are kept immaculate and Cape Town seems to be asking itself what it can do to make the visitor's experience even better. It is a world class act that is attracting massive foreign currency to the Western Cape and creating jobs. What a pity that both the Minister of Tourism and his deputy remain so mute about one of our greatest growth industries, except to comment on the skin colour of those with the initiative to make it work.
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