“Adventure tourism is the fastest growing aspect of tourism throughout the world. South Africa is one of the premier adventure tourism destinations of the world. This project takes South Africa’s biggest renewable resource (adventure tourism) and links it to South Africa’s biggest socio-economic challenge (Unemployment) and in so doing improves the quality of life for all the people in this country.”
Phase One (Initial Selections & The Township Adventure Tour )
We expect phase one funding to be generated at regional level, in this way we are assured that the project has the support, participation and buy in from local government.
n Pre-marketing and introducing the concept and adventure tourism at high schools in the townships. An Adventure Tourism Workshop is presented to the grade 12 students.
n Presenting adventure races in the townships (all equipment supplied) as the first step in the selection process.
n An adventure-training weekend at an established adventure tourism resort. All expenses, travelling, accommodation and meals are provided for the students.
n Establishing a community based adventure club as the local, ongoing development node.
n Ongoing training in preparation for their first adventure races.
n Inclusion in a regional adventure sprint race (These races cover a distance of about 30km and include mountain biking, kayaking, trail running and limited rope work)
n Inclusion in a national adventure sprint race.
n Final selection for an average of 3 candidates per province per year
Phase Two (Allocate a one year training bursary to 18 students)
As a result of phase one, at least one student from each of the participating municipalities is sponsored R45 000 to attend a year at Stanford Lake College. The emphasis of this phase is introducing them to adventure sports and providing an opportunity to gain first hand experience of the adventure tourism industry. Another crucial aspect of the bursary year is to break the township/rural mould and create confident, entrepreneurs and operators.
n Introduction to the environment in relation to adventure tourism – our most valuable national asset in terms of tourism must surely be our natural environs. This concept is introduced at the very beginning and reinforced throughout the program.
n Fitness training - to get themselves fit and to assist others in getting fit.
n Adventure sports and equipment (For example, Mountain biking skills – how to ride and maintain a mountain bike. River guiding – All aspects of river guiding including swimming, High Ropes – Including abseiling, rock climbing, traverses etc.)
n Presenting to sponsors – Preparing proposals and presentation skills.
n People skills – How to manage competitors and event staff.
n Basic business skills – Forming a CC and managing it.
n Technology
n Skills assessment – all the candidates that make it through the year are evaluated and awarded valid certification.
Phase Three (Year of apprenticeship and Leadership)
Phase three is the fusion of the sports and the tourism industry to which they were introduced during their bursary year.
All the students who make it through their bursary year go through to an apprentice year with On Track Club. During this time they get to put to practice the skills they acquired during their bursary year. They also spend time with tour operators that present activities that are of personal interest.
During this apprentice year the new leadership group have two primary tasks:
n Organising and presenting phase 1 above in their respective district municipalities and mentoring the new selection group.
n Making the arrangements for their international travels for next year.
For the new Group Leaders their futures in the industry starts coming into focus as they embark on specialist training. For the first time, they are placed in real positions of authority and responsibility.
n Presenting the induction phase for the new intake
n Event management
n Planning their three-month adventure tourism practical abroad (We already have agreements in place with the U. S. A.)
n Final assessment
n Business management
n Presentation of an international adventure tourism event (The SA Adventure Racing Opens)
n Placing the group leaders in tourism businesses of their own or in careers in the industry.
Although this is the end of the final phase of the development program training offered by On Track Club, this should be seen as the start of their careers in adventure tourism. At this point they have the basic skills and hands on experience that equips them to head out into any aspect of the adventure tourism industry.
Phase Four (International experiential training)
Simplistically those that make it through their apprentice year will have finalised their arrangements for a three to six month experiential practical abroad.
They travel abroad as instructors at Summer Camps and at adventure centres internationally.
On Their return they go through a phase of consolidation in preparation for their careers into the future. Some will choose to go into formal academic training; some will stay on with On Track Club as instructors and the rest are highly sought after entrepreneurs and operators in the adventure industry.
In a space of two short years these youngsters will have gone through a metamorphosis from being the forgotten township youth to budding entrepreneurs in the adventure tourism industry – we will have succeeded in addressing the challenge of unemployment by linking it to adventure tourism which is this countries second biggest asset.
Our biggest asset is our people.