Innovative Tourism Sustainability Project

We excerpt a fascinating, sustainable tourism attraction & hospitality concept operating in South Africa – one of large range of case studies in this year’s Sustainable Tourism Report – details at:www.travelmole.com/stories/1139697.php

Noordhoek Farm Village looks like an old, traditional farm at the foot of the mighty Chapman’s Peak, close to the sea in a mid-market suburb of Cape Town. But it is much more. In fact, some very clever and accomplished people have all arrived here at one point in time to create something very special – an almost sustainable, almost self-sufficient, almost zero-waste destination AND successful, AND useful, tourism attraction

This is how it works:

Franck Dangereux was voted best chef in South Africa from 1999 – 2005. In 2006 Franck was voted 28th Best Chef in the World and his book "FEAST" won a global award. In August 2006 Franck opened the Foodbarn Restaurant at Noordhoek with his business partner Pete de Bruin. A sensible move, Franck lives down the road so he can save on his carbon footprint and his energy by working close to home.

Franck, naturally, as befits a great chef, also likes to work with the very best and freshest of ingredients. The excellent soil and sun and air of Noordhoek produces wonderful fruit and veg – good idea then to have a garden centre/nursery on the farm – hey presto – Greenways Nursery was established! Farm to fork 10 metres or a maximum of three minutes.

But, food and hospitality throw up a great deal of waste. Enter Mary Murphy, environmental activist and educator. Apart from many other talents, Mary specializes in worms. Yes worms. She was best known for her earthworm farm at Cape Town’s Mount Nelson Hotel, which has been successfully reducing one ton of waste every month for the past four years. Mary was persuaded to open ‘Full Cycle’ at Noordhoek.

FullCycle has now set up a large vermicomposting centre at Noordhoek . The food waste from the restaurants at the Noordhoek Farm Village is collected daily and fed to the worms. The ‘waste’ is collected by bicycle and trailer, and the vermicompost and vermitea are used in the gardens at the Noordhoek Farm Village, other ‘rubbish’ is recycled into usable and beautiful artifacts.

Which are in turn sold through the retail shops lining the compound. Of course, all this activity attracts like minded people, so, before you know it, you’ve got a Café Roux, offering al fresco dining and drinking, music and laughter and more people coming to enjoy the fun. Locals and tourists, families and friends.

One thing leads to another and, of course, a village needs a pub, so what more sensible option than for ‘The Toad’ to open up on the farm. The Toad in the Village, a country pub and restaurant, opened in December 2008. In winter both the ground and upper floors boast large roaring open wood fires and in summer the outside beer garden and upper deck between the trees give it an ‘every season’ feel.

All these people visiting for a great occasion need other things too – shopping and relaxing, perhaps? There is a full range of shops and services to fulfil many relaxing needs.

Shops around the village green include an old-fashioned trading post, a health and beauty salon, a funky designer’s, a local craft shop and an art gallery specialising in local artists. Continuing the good food theme, a fine wine boutique and an internationally acclaimed bakery and delicatessen provide more outlets for local South African agriculture and viniculture.

Noordhoek is almost synonymous with horses, horse-riding and all things equine so it is common to see horses ambling down the village lane, and a popular activity is a horse ride along the white sands of Noordhoek beach. In the Old Post House Building is a tack and leather shop- stocking a range of local leatherware, gifts and a range of horse riding gear.

Noordhoek is bordered by Table Mountain National Park and surrounded by a conservancy so a structural plan protecting low-density zoning was passed in the late 1970’s. Even the paddocks are protected to ensure the equine nature will always remain. “It’s all too much, you’ll just have to come and live here” Says Pam Goulding who runs the estate agency on the farm.

Noordhoek Farm Village is the result of a great deal of vision, planning and years of hard work and commitment by the developer Jeremy Wiley, who knew that a serious and sustainable tourist attraction could be built around good food and recycling. Who would have believed that 10 years ago?

Another piece of the jigsaw has just been put in place – the Noordhoek Hotel – a delightful boutique hotel built around a luxuriously scented garden – where mien host is the affable, incredibly committed, knowledgeable and professional Colin White.

With all this and a commitment to ecological building and low energy operation, Noordhoek Farm village is a true sustainable tourism destination for the 10’s, offering vision, education a substantial contribution to the local economy and, above all, a commitment to a functioning ideal.

Valere Tjolle

Full Suite of 4 2010 Sustainable Tourism Reports will be available shortly For anyone interested in sustainable tourism these are must-have reports. They will: Inform your planning * Inform your investing * Inform your colleagues * Maximise your ROI * Help you create winning sustainable strategies SEE: www.travelmole.com/stories/1139697.php