Alan Winde, MEC of Economic Opportunities, revealed yesterday the Western Cape’s newest tourist attraction proposal – a single cycling track branching from Plettenberg Bay to Cape Town. According to the Cape Argus, the local cycling associations fully back the plan and are adamant that this development could make Cape Town ‘the new cycling capital of Africa’.
The development of the extensive cycling route, which will ultimately be 520 m in length, is driven by the Western Cape government, Wesgro, local municipalities as well as private stakeholders. Developers anticipate that the cycling route will not only bring cycling enthusiasts to the Western Cape to tick off the ‘Cape-to-Plett’ route as one on their to-do lists, but that it will also allow the lesser explored parts of the Western Cape between the two major destinations to receive a greater influx of tourists. The project is part of a goal of attracting 100 000 tourists to the province.
Increased tourist visits will in turn boost the local economy and increase job creation for the destination stops along the routes.
The proposed development is part of a five-year plan with the first 160 km phase between Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, said to be completed by 2017. Developers plan to incorporate already existing tracks as well as challenging mountain trails, scenic forest single tracks, jeep tracks, roads and even unused railway tracks as part of the formation of the Cape to Plett route. So if you are a beginner wanting to cycle this route, then the good news is that you have time to train and prepare for the guaranteed breathtaking experience.
If you would like to read more about the development, you can find it here.
