A tension exists between opening up rock art sites and safeguarding them from damage and desecration. The Tourism Boards of the North East Cape have created a joint venture in which twenty sites have been opened up to the public. This has the approval of the Monuments Commission which wishes to protect and preserve rock art and yet also recognises the tourism potential of this resource.

A small fee is payable by visitors to the farmers on whose farms the art is. There is also some hope that in the longer term there could be job creation through the need for tour guides as well as a spin-off of work creation in the tourism and hospitality industry through more visitors to the area.

A map indicating where the twenty sites are and brief descriptions of the rock art have been made available in English and German.
Now the Tourism Boards wish to create a further twenty sites open to the public along the road from Aliwal North to East London. A meeting was held in May in Queenstown . Representatives from Arts and Culture Departments, East London Museum and the Tourism Boards of the North East Cape, East Cape and Stormberg Tourism Boards met and proposed this new joint venture, consequent on National Monuments Board approval.

For Further Information:
Eastern Cape Tourism Board Tel: 051-6333567 E-mail: ectban@interkom.co.za
Ugie/Maclear Tourism Association . Tel: 045-93313357
Barley East and Rhodes Tourism Association . Tel : Tel: 045-9710722
Lady Grey Tourism Association . Tel 051- 6031114
Herschel LTO. Tel: 051-6110149
Elliot Tourism Association. Tel : 045-9311011
Burgersdorp LTO . Tel: 051 - 6531777
Jamestown Tourism. Tel: 051-6410641
Steynsburg Tourism . 04842 ask for 34
Dordrecht LTO. Tel: 045-9411014