ISIBUBULUNGU COAST ACCOMMODATION ASSOCIATION
CHAIRMANS REPORT
Harry Etheridge
AGM 29 March 2006
The beginning of Isi’bubulungu Coast. In 2004 Engen embarked upon a PR campaign to form a tourist route in
“the South Durban Industial Basin”. Being eager to ensure that a better image was developed for the Bluff than
“an Industrial Basin” I decided to participate in the development of The Durban South Tourist Route DSTR.
I served on the committee for about 6 months fighting for a better image for Durban South because the object of
the exercise created by Engen was to paint a picture of Durban South being a “model project” where industry
and tourism could co-exist “cheek & jowl” as depicted on their website www.openafrica.org
(Search ROUTES - DURBAN - DURBAN SOUTH ROUTE)
During that time I set up the www.dstr.org website and registered the domain. I decided to resign in December
2004 after realizing the DSTR was not going anywhere, meeting week after week with no real progress because
the DSTR did not have structure and did not represent the tourism stakeholders.
I advised DSTR of my intentions to form a structured Accommodation Association and my belief that this would
form the backbone of the proposed Tourist Route. I did not do very much until a catalyst arrived at my office on
a public holiday in April 2005. The catalyst was Lynn Easton who encouraged me to get the association going
and offered her assistance to organize the first meeting.
We set about inviting all the accommodation establishment operators that we could to the first meeting on the
24th May 2005 at Elarish Restaurant. Lynn organized KZN Tourism's 'Tourism Information Services General
Manager' James Seymour to speak to those present about forming an association and the benefits of this in the
bigger picture of tourism in South Africa. From that meeting a steering committee was formed with the mission to
form the Isi’bubulungu Coast Accommodation Association (ICAA). This dedicated committee with other interested
stakeholders set up the constitution and set the ICAA on its way on the 6th July 2005. Thanks to Jeanette
Nicholson’s dedication to constitutional matters we have an excellent constitution which will be further improved
today.
The committee has in my opinion done an outstanding job from our official start on 6th July 2005 to today and I
can report the following :-
Secretary Portfolio
Thanks to Gail Schaffer our secretary we have an excellent set of minutes. This is vital to the success of any
organization that the business communication structure operates efficiently. Thanks to Gail for an outstanding
job and ensuring that our administration has been excellent from day one. In the beginning Gail also shouldered
the load of membership administration … again an outstanding job of establishing our member database.
Membership Portfolio
Thanks to Bryan & Syd for their excellent work on the current administration our membership portfolio. Our
thanks In particular to Bryan Maguire and Rod Nicholson for their dedication in establishing clear guidelines for
all the legal issues ICAA members need to comply with and personally calling on prospective members to
present the “ICAA package” for membership. This has taken many hours of their valuable time and is another
essential foundation stone for the success of ICAA. We can report that we have 24 members in the ICAA.
Treasury Portfolio
Thanks to Margaret Hornby for maintaining our treasury. Although there has not been a great deal of activity
other than the inflow of member subscriptions this past year we do expect this portfolio’s activity to increase in
2006. Thanks to Margaret and WESSA we have an outstanding image on our logo of the WESSA marine life
mural. This has already created an image of note for the Isi’bubulungu Coast.
Public Relations Portfolio
Thanks to Jeanette Nicholson we have “Hit the HEADLINES” of th Southlands Sun Newspaper with the excellent
press releases that Jeanette has compiled. I believe this is another vital portfolio that is designed to maintain
public awareness of the ICAA and its members and Jeanette is doing an excellent job of promoting our ICAA
public image.
Advertising Portfolio
The website www.icaasa.net is growing rapidly with members, information and content and we are definitely
getting more and more visitors. To date our web pages have been viewed 2,347 times and each time our press
releases hit the headlines the number of people visiting our site jump. The advertising brochure is now full and
we will have printed brochures before the end of April 2006.The brochure will no doubt add more visitors to our
website.
Chairmans Portfolio
It has been a dream start to the ICAA for me and an honor to have experienced the way that everyone has
responded to the call by participating in the development of our association. From the beginning the assistance
received from NAA, KWABABA , KZN Tourism and most of all, our committee and members, has made ICAA
possible. I am sure that as ICAA develops we will make a significant contribution to all that have assisted us and
invested time and money in ICAA. Already the benefits of the association for each member are outstanding and
as I have already stated on our membership overview webpage this is “one of the best deals you will ever get”.
We have already contributed back to NAA, KWABABA and KZN Tourism by providing them with 24 members and
a structure that is essential for the development of sustainable tourism. We have participated in numerous
meetings all for the purpose of improving the tourism industry and the Isi’bubulungu Coast Area.
One of the greatest impact projects we are currently participating in is the Development of The Coastal
Management Plan which everyone can view on the website www.icaasa.net/Coast-M-1.html
I can confidently say the ICAA is only going to get better and better through all the projects that we have running
and that means your business will prosper by your participation in the ICAA.
I also wish to add that your level of participation will determine what you get out of ICAA – it is a universal
principle – “what you sow you will reap”. I therefore urge you to get involved, take responsibility for a portfolio
and “start sowing seeds” – you will not be disappointed.
CHAIRMANS REPORT
Harry Etheridge
AGM 29 March 2006
The beginning of Isi’bubulungu Coast. In 2004 Engen embarked upon a PR campaign to form a tourist route in
“the South Durban Industial Basin”. Being eager to ensure that a better image was developed for the Bluff than
“an Industrial Basin” I decided to participate in the development of The Durban South Tourist Route DSTR.
I served on the committee for about 6 months fighting for a better image for Durban South because the object of
the exercise created by Engen was to paint a picture of Durban South being a “model project” where industry
and tourism could co-exist “cheek & jowl” as depicted on their website www.openafrica.org
(Search ROUTES - DURBAN - DURBAN SOUTH ROUTE)
During that time I set up the www.dstr.org website and registered the domain. I decided to resign in December
2004 after realizing the DSTR was not going anywhere, meeting week after week with no real progress because
the DSTR did not have structure and did not represent the tourism stakeholders.
I advised DSTR of my intentions to form a structured Accommodation Association and my belief that this would
form the backbone of the proposed Tourist Route. I did not do very much until a catalyst arrived at my office on
a public holiday in April 2005. The catalyst was Lynn Easton who encouraged me to get the association going
and offered her assistance to organize the first meeting.
We set about inviting all the accommodation establishment operators that we could to the first meeting on the
24th May 2005 at Elarish Restaurant. Lynn organized KZN Tourism's 'Tourism Information Services General
Manager' James Seymour to speak to those present about forming an association and the benefits of this in the
bigger picture of tourism in South Africa. From that meeting a steering committee was formed with the mission to
form the Isi’bubulungu Coast Accommodation Association (ICAA). This dedicated committee with other interested
stakeholders set up the constitution and set the ICAA on its way on the 6th July 2005. Thanks to Jeanette
Nicholson’s dedication to constitutional matters we have an excellent constitution which will be further improved
today.
The committee has in my opinion done an outstanding job from our official start on 6th July 2005 to today and I
can report the following :-
Secretary Portfolio
Thanks to Gail Schaffer our secretary we have an excellent set of minutes. This is vital to the success of any
organization that the business communication structure operates efficiently. Thanks to Gail for an outstanding
job and ensuring that our administration has been excellent from day one. In the beginning Gail also shouldered
the load of membership administration … again an outstanding job of establishing our member database.
Membership Portfolio
Thanks to Bryan & Syd for their excellent work on the current administration our membership portfolio. Our
thanks In particular to Bryan Maguire and Rod Nicholson for their dedication in establishing clear guidelines for
all the legal issues ICAA members need to comply with and personally calling on prospective members to
present the “ICAA package” for membership. This has taken many hours of their valuable time and is another
essential foundation stone for the success of ICAA. We can report that we have 24 members in the ICAA.
Treasury Portfolio
Thanks to Margaret Hornby for maintaining our treasury. Although there has not been a great deal of activity
other than the inflow of member subscriptions this past year we do expect this portfolio’s activity to increase in
2006. Thanks to Margaret and WESSA we have an outstanding image on our logo of the WESSA marine life
mural. This has already created an image of note for the Isi’bubulungu Coast.
Public Relations Portfolio
Thanks to Jeanette Nicholson we have “Hit the HEADLINES” of th Southlands Sun Newspaper with the excellent
press releases that Jeanette has compiled. I believe this is another vital portfolio that is designed to maintain
public awareness of the ICAA and its members and Jeanette is doing an excellent job of promoting our ICAA
public image.
Advertising Portfolio
The website www.icaasa.net is growing rapidly with members, information and content and we are definitely
getting more and more visitors. To date our web pages have been viewed 2,347 times and each time our press
releases hit the headlines the number of people visiting our site jump. The advertising brochure is now full and
we will have printed brochures before the end of April 2006.The brochure will no doubt add more visitors to our
website.
Chairmans Portfolio
It has been a dream start to the ICAA for me and an honor to have experienced the way that everyone has
responded to the call by participating in the development of our association. From the beginning the assistance
received from NAA, KWABABA , KZN Tourism and most of all, our committee and members, has made ICAA
possible. I am sure that as ICAA develops we will make a significant contribution to all that have assisted us and
invested time and money in ICAA. Already the benefits of the association for each member are outstanding and
as I have already stated on our membership overview webpage this is “one of the best deals you will ever get”.
We have already contributed back to NAA, KWABABA and KZN Tourism by providing them with 24 members and
a structure that is essential for the development of sustainable tourism. We have participated in numerous
meetings all for the purpose of improving the tourism industry and the Isi’bubulungu Coast Area.
One of the greatest impact projects we are currently participating in is the Development of The Coastal
Management Plan which everyone can view on the website www.icaasa.net/Coast-M-1.html
I can confidently say the ICAA is only going to get better and better through all the projects that we have running
and that means your business will prosper by your participation in the ICAA.
I also wish to add that your level of participation will determine what you get out of ICAA – it is a universal
principle – “what you sow you will reap”. I therefore urge you to get involved, take responsibility for a portfolio
and “start sowing seeds” – you will not be disappointed.
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