“Anthea Rossouw, of ARA is also the founder of Dreamcatcher South Africa, an award winning charitable organisation focusing on community based development, poverty relief and social harmony, using tourism as the catalyst for local development. Her work has transformed the lives of countless people by introducing impoverished individuals living in pristine areas of South Africa, to community based tourism business development opportuntiies. This includes the impact that their business has on their local community and the environment. Her work has earned prestigious awards world wide, inspring TV documentaries, films, academic studies and many news releases.
Conceptualising and pioneering a unique community participative waste management model called “Waste – Its Mine – Its Yours”, which has seen waste sent to landfill from flats and businesses involved, plummet in East -and West Sussex: offers significant potential cost saving benefits and positive environmental implications to waste management at flats and small businesses. This unique creative model to make a difference with the locals that works, has once more inspired numerous nominations and awards in the United Kingdom.
Anthea’s focus in terms of tourism business growth opportunities, is geared towards her philosophy that “tourism happens where people live and work; they are ultimately the custodians of the visitor destination, define the visitor experience and will influence the quality of life of the locals and that of the visitor experience based on perceptions they develop of a town and service. When Apartheid was dismantled, Anthea served as Executive Chairperson of the Marketing Committee of the National Tourism Authority of South Africa for a number of years: elected thereto by the people across the country. During this time she came into contact with potential visitors on a global context. She was instrumental in the founding of the Global Community based Tourist Network , supported by the CBI, The Netherlands.
Anthea, known as “The Dreamcatcher” in South Africa, has the rare ability to read, lead and enthuse people, yet has the sincerity and humility to be equally at home at grassroots, corporate or academic environment. This is what people, communities and business who want to develop and sustain themselves in a healthy environment, need to survive”.
(Sonja van Proosdij – Journalist, Radio & TV Presenter, The Netherlands).
