Kontrei - definition and background

1.1Eco tourism (Read : kontrei tourism)

Up to now the natural science’s expressions such as ecosystem and ecology, has influenced the economic and social domain of tourism, giving birth to the idea and practice of eco tourism. The general meaning and application is that of a type of tourism being nature based.

Following the paradigm of understanding our earth, we now use eco tourism as an approach to understand and manage our tourism business.

“Eco” is interpreted and applied according to the original Greek word, “oikos”, meaning “home”. “Eco” therefore means and refers to the total environment – natural and cultural - of the place/area which someone calls home. This extension of the currently used meaning of “eco”, opens a window of improving our understanding of place/region because of incorporating the cultural part of a particular “ECO” and its interrelationship with nature. It therefore creates an opportunity for value added, enlightening experiences for the visitor(tourist) to a particular place/region.

As far as I know, the word, kontrei, in my language came due to the influence from French – contrée - and Dutch – kontrei – both meaning region. It referred to a political region in terms of a municipality or province. The word kontrei , is alive in my language but it is freed of the political context and is used in its geographical context. It means and refers to any limited, geographical area with a distinct character due to its natural and/or cultural integrity.

In the rural areas of my country these regions have names. These names for specific geographical areas may include town areas and can stretch into or across district and provincial areas. Bidouw, Boland, Bo-Karoo, Camdebo, Cederberg, Hantam, Klein-Karoo, Namaqualand, Roggeveld, Sandveld and West Coast are typical examples.
But even in the Cape Town urban area for example, Bo-Kaap, District Six, Constantia and Sea Point, each with distinct and diverse cultural integrity, makes for separate kontreis.

Used in the tourism context , kontrei, is an explicit and descriptive word. If it is applied where a visitor comes to my place/area; to my home; to my KONTREI, one can almost feel the potent quality of visitor’s sense of place experience.

Using kontrei instead of eco refers to a qualitative difference in experience. If it is only an “eco” tourism experience – a nature based experience – that awaits the visitor, a sure myopic tourist experience will be the result.

When the extended eco- kontrei- is now used in the approach to tourism, it is like putting on special KONTREI glasses to view one’s country and our earth. This view then explodes with massive and impressive diversities. An enormous potential wealth of enlightening experiences awaits the visitor to these diverse places and regions.


In order for the integrity of the land – South Africa - to be seen better by the visitor, one needs to view the land using the special set of “Kontrei” glasses.

Using the Kontrei glasses the land is viewed in terms of a diversity of regions, each with its distinct natural and then to be completed by cultural, characteristics. It refers to the synthetic relationship between geography and demography. The sensible, dynamic but authentic piece of earth thus born out of this relationship is known in the Afrikaans language as a “Kontrei”

A kontrei is named by local people irrespective of political boundaries. Sometimes different names exist for the same kontrei and it is fairly common for people expressing themselves as part of a smaller kontrei within a bigger one.

By using Kontrei glasses, the visitor can see the land better in an “as is” format.

The Kontrei Traveller Portfolio (KTP) offers the visitor a selection of hosts, each from a different kontrei. The host is someone calling his/her place in a particular kontrei, MY home. They are best equipped to introduce the visitor to an authentic experience of their place and kontrei.

The KTP member as part of the local community, runs a tourism business in and through his/her kontrei– MY business. All these KTP members are a special people because they produce their tourism products in a sustainable way.

YOU, the visitor – the sustainable consumer – is invited to buy into these products for a quality travel experience.

Look at South Africa through your KONTREI (Region) glasses and let the land introduce itself in terms of its various, different regions. A massive diversity comes to the fore.

Introducing “Kontrei” and “place”
Where:
A Kontrei(Region) is any limited geographic area with specific characteristics due to its natural and cultural integrity and dynamics

A Place is a chip of a kontrei

Now South Africa speaks kontrei language in terms of the diversity of regions with names like :
The Fairest Cape, Transkei,
Green Midlands, Boland
The Lowveld, West Coast
Highveld, Namaqualand,
Riemland, Klein Karoo
Bushmanland Camdeboo

To experience the diversity, product owners are selected from places in a particular Kontrei where their hosting, accommodation in terms of buildings and interior and attractions offered, most probably will give the visitor an authentic, enlightening experience of that Kontrei.