The Lilizela Tourism Awards crowned the cream of the crop in the Tourism sector during the annual awards function during October at the Sandton Convention Centre. ATKV-Resort Buffelspoort walked away as National and Provincial winner in the category 4-star Caravan and Camping as well as the Provincial winner in the category Self Catering Exclusive.  

But this Resort was not the only one to boast with its accolades and saw its sister Resort’s rake in another seven Provincial Awards. ATKV Eiland Spa and Natalia were crowned Provincial winners in the category Caravan and Camping. Goudini Spa and Eiland Spa are hanging their great achievement of Provincial winners for the category Self-Catering Shared Vacation, in their foyers. The remaining two accolades were awarded to ATKV Klein-Kariba for Self-Catering Exclusive and to Drakensville in the Adventure category.  

Launched in May 2013, these awards are an initiative of the National Department of Tourism (NDT); spearheaded by South African Tourism and delivered by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.   

The Lilizela Tourism Awards aim to recognise and celebrate tourism excellence and encourages key players to strive for excellence in order to grow global competitiveness in tourism. The Awards also strive to give the public a voice that counts in terms of the feedback and reviews they give.  

“We would like to extend our gratitude to our loyal guests and brand ambassadors who continue to consistently show their support by voting for the resorts and contributing to them receiving such prestigious awards,” said Schalk Cilliers, MD of ATKV Resorts.  

This fully audited Tourism Awards programme does not only ensure that organisations and businesses strive to achieve the highest standards but also actively promotes Tourism in South Africa.

The Koekemoers on the Telly

The Koekemoers, a brand new miniseries from the ATKV which will be broadcasting on Wednesday mornings at 07:00 (staring on the 18th of May 2016) on the popular Die Groot Ontbyt on Kyknet, will have households ready to burst into laughter within three minutes before they hit the road to work. 

Family holiday shenanigans will be depicted with this tongue-in-cheek show which many viewers will be able to identify with."We would like to offer the Afrikaans viewer and our holiday goers content that will draw attention to typical family holiday events that most of us may have experienced. Some of the scenes are slightly dramatized, but the "tongue-in-cheek tone" will ensure a bit of healthy early morning humour. Think of the then short stories in the mornings just before everyone left for work like Het Jou Katvis! "Said Reinard du Plessis, General Marketing and Communications Manager at ATKV Business. 

Although the show is produced to entertain viewers, this production was a far cry from being a joke. The miniseries was carefully planned to ensure that a strong storyline developed with each episode. Each episode is only three minutes long and broadcast spans across 12 weeks - which is an indication of the sharp and explosive humour of the show. 

The main role and father, Johan Koekemoer is played by the well-known Afrikaans singer Joe F. The rest of the family includes the mother and anchor of the family, Marguerite Koekemoer (played by Lizé van der Walt), Megan "Viper" Koekemoer - the difficult teenage daughter (played by Danielle Du Plessis) and Johan Junior Koekemoer (played by TJ Day) - the apathetic boy who cannot stop playing with his electronic gadgets. 

But the series is not built merely to provide viewers with a weekly shot healthy humour. There are also valuable holiday suggestions and tips each week on the ATKV resort's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ATKVOORDE) that link onto that week's episode. Viewers should also be on the lookout for attractive prizes from May to August 2016 as part of the ATKV resort's Winter Promotions, because the goal is to pull each viewer into the show making it a real ATKV friendly experience, Du Plessis added. 

ATKV

For more information about the ATKV Resorts, feel free to visit their website: www.atkvoorde.co.za