Maropeng takes top honours at the Welcome Awards

Maropeng, the official visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, took top honours at the 2008 Welcome Awards, in the Tourist Attraction category.
Winners in five categories were announced at Indaba on 11 May, including Accommodation, Tourist Guides, Tour Operators, Tourist Attractions and Online. The awards, an initiative by South African Tourism in association with the Tourism Grading Council and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, were introduced three years ago to recognise service excellence in tourism, in particular those companies and individuals that offer travellers an authentic African experience and go the extra mile to deliver service excellence.

Judging criteria of the Tourist Attraction category included how the organisation adds value to visitors’ experiences, formal and informal training programmes offered to staff to improve service, contribution towards the upliftment of disadvantaged communities, providing an authentic South African experience and offering value for money, in a safe and secure environment.

Tony Rubin, Managing Director of Maropeng, comments: “Maropeng was established in 2005 to showcase the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, a region in South Africa which is unsurpassed anywhere else in the world in terms of heritage value. The entire team at Maropeng is committed to enhancing all visitors’ experience from arrival to departure. Visitors are encouraged to not only learn about our natural heritage and the origins of humankind, but to also consider the impact we as human beings make on sustainability and conservation. The Maropeng experience is exceptional and creates an awareness of sustainability which is vital for our future. We are very proud to receive this award, and proud to have a World Heritage Site that is easily accessible from Johannesburg and Pretoria and which has such significant universal value to humankind.”

Contact Maropeng on 014 577 9000 or info@maropeng.co.za.

Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves are powered by generators during power outages and continue to operate during load shedding