Liliesleaf Farm named “one of the best new tourism projects in the world”
Liliesleaf Farm, situated in residential Rivonia, owes its famed status to having been a secret meeting place of South Africa’s most prominent leaders in the fight against the apartheid regime. It was a rendezvous location where intellectuals and military personnel met to engage in dialogue about the future of the country.
When police raided the farm on July 11, 1963 many of senior ANC leaders were arrested and subsequently tried in the Rivonia Treason Trial of 1963.
Liliesleaf Farm hut. Photo courtesy wikimedia.org
This year Liliesleaf was recognised as an outstanding tourism product by the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) at their annual tourism awards ceremony held on the eve of the World Travel Market in London.
The BTGW awarded Liliesleaf a certificate of merit and honoured the museum’s interactive experience in the Best Overseas Tourism category as “one of the best new tourism projects in the world”.
The distinguished award is only issued to tourism products that benefit the local community and the environment, as well as offer tourism potential to the region. Entry to the awards is by nomination only and if the nominated product is shortlisted at the members’ awards evening a presentation of the product is then shown.
The award ceremony is judged by members of the Guild (270 journalists, authors, editors, photographers and broadcasters), thus, making the award an exclusive and prestigious award to receive.
2011 will see Lieliesleaf celebrate its 50th year of the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe as well as 50 years since its purchase in 1961.
The BTGW is recognised as Britain’s leading professional body for those working in the field of travel writing, photography, editing and broadcasting. Such is the case with Lilisleaf farm and all who are involved are to be congratulated on its outstanding achievement.