GEORGE l GARDEN ROUTE l SOUTH AFRICA
George is located at the heart of the Western Cape’s Garden Route; a fashionable holiday destination and home to many of South Africa’s most affluent residents. Consequently, commercial and residential development in George and its surrounds is practically unsurpassed in South Africa.
The town of George lies halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on South Africa’s ever-popular Garden Route. With more and more visitors travelling to the region’s mountains, beaches and forests, George airport now handles over 600,000 passengers each year. The increasing popularity of the area as a tourist destination is expected to boost traffic even further. It is also a national distribution hub for cargo such as flowers, fish, oysters, herbs and ferns.

DEMOGRAPHICS
George has a population size of 136,540 people, according to Stats SA 2007 survey. The growth in business, number of new residential, business and industrial developments, increase in dwellers suggests not only a steady increase in the residing population but also a migration of outsiders to George.
The same statistics indicate Number of Households for George in 2001 at 35,520 and an increase to 42,793 in Stats SA’s 2007 survey.

DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGE:
The following activity areas have been identified near Duttons Cove (refer to plan):
· An argi-tourism centre along the tourist corridor to George Airport (TR2/9). Argitourism is essentially any activity that attracts visitors to farm operations. Activities
range from U-pick operations, wineries, herb farms and greenhouses, cheese producers and farm stands (www.sustainableag.net/glossary_a-d.htm).
Accommodation and tourist curios businesses are deemed to be appropriate as well:
· An urban gateway located at the intersection of the MR347 / R404 and the TR2/9, is
proposed.
· A tourist and service centre on the tourist corridor linked with the urban gateway and
the entrance of the Airport.
· A tourism centre linked to the N2 / MR347 intersection just south of the Airport.
