Various sponsors are approached for funding to develop routes such as businesses in the local areas, The World Bank, The European Union, and corporate companies such as De Beers.
The Open Africa Website http://www.openafrica.org/ assists in promoting local tourism, by placing photographs on the website, giving a GPS reading of the destination, and providing descriptions of all the attractions and products available, before the route is launched to the media and other stakeholders. All these services are performed with no financial charge to the community.
Retired SABC journalist and friend of Open Africa, Charl Pauw, conducts interviews with route participants that are posted on the Open Africa website. The website receives approximately 10,500 visitors a month with the majority of visitors coming from South Africa, Europe and the U.S.A. The approximately 200 participants, who are listed on the website, have benefited substantially from the additional marketing.
Article By: Joan Tinker