By Nangamso Mabindla
4 November 2004

BUFFALO City has the potential to become a major sporting destination, according to the City's Beach Development Agency's acting CEO, Peter King.

With the proposed multi-million-Rand golf course estate at Cintsa, some 35 kilometres from East London, and the existing East London Golf Course along Nahoon Beach, the city has the capacity to become a significant sport tourism centre.

"This potential was also realised in the Buffalo City draft master plan and has been advanced as one of the central pillars of the plan," said King. Such potential had been confirmed in interviews with the heads of both the Eastern Cape and Buffalo City Tourism authorities.

However, in order for Buffalo City to reach its proper potential as a sports tourism venue, it needed to utilise its assets to their full potential.

"We already have a golf course in Bunkers Hill, but we need to think creatively - maybe start building more world class golf facilities along our beaches."

If such courses were built, international tournaments could be played in the city and this, in turn, would mean more tourists - not to say foreign currency - would be attracted to the area. "I'm talking about people staying here for a month or three, bringing money to the city," King said.

Sporting activities would also generate a demand for accommodation and impact on allied hospitality services. "We do have accommodation entrepreneurs in the neighbouring Bunkers Hill suburb, where there are currently some 10 bed and breakfast establishments, offering 43 rooms in total," said King

However, the number of rooms needed would increase as more and more sports-related tourists visited the city. "If we could just look at improving and building more sports facilities, we can reach our potential to be a world class sports tourism industry," King said.