Have you been to The Republic of Hout Bay? Posted by Anita Froneman on 9 March 2020 In 1987, the Lions and Rotary Club charities in the area of Hout Bay, Cape Town, came up with an interesting marketing strategy: declare this beachside suburb an unofficial ‘country’, complete with passports and flag. The idea was to attract more tourists to the area as well as donating the funds to charity. Hout Bay Flag circa 1987 pic.twitter.com/QumsX2qA — John Routley (@HoutBayJohn) July 17, 2012 Checkpoints were established on the roads leading into Hout Bay that were manned by volunteers on weekends and public holidays, who jokingly halted motorists and pedestrians and offered them these passports for sale, according to Sentinelnews.com. View this post on Instagram Become a Citizen of the Republic of #houtbay by purchasing your very own #houtbaypassport from the @houtbaytourism and @captain_jacks_capetown offices. These nifty little guys entitle the bearer to supreme bragging rights being a citizen of THE COOLEST republic on earth and also come with some super cool discount vouchers for a few of niche Hout Bay stores. Don’t Delay, get yours TODAY!!! #lovehoutbay #houtandabout #loveourhood #houtbayvibez #getyours #passport #citizen #visithoutbay #republic #republicofhoutbay A post shared by Hout Bay Tourism (@houtbaytourism) on Nov 18, 2018 at 11:46pm PST As the passports initially took off during the apartheid era, some saw it as a form of resistance against apartheid. Kerry Redelinghuys, marketing manager for Cape Coast Properties, told Sentinelnews.com that its ‘importance lies in the fact that it came at a time when there was a lot of uneasiness in the country, yet here we had a very positive spin-off. It was a representation of the resilience of Hout Bay people at a difficult time. It also makes the town stand out from the crowd. It was something silly and fun initially, but it has gone on to have great importance.’ Urban legend has it that one mischievous traveller used his Hout Bay passport to travel to countries that did not accept South African passports at the time, and came half way across the world before anyone stopped him. Although you won’t be halted entering Hout Bay anymore, the passport can still be bought as a souvenir today at many shops. If you’re looking to make your way to The Republic of Hout Bay soon, here are some wonderful places to stay. Image: Instagram/oliveroth Related Posts Cycle from New York to Canada on this epic 1207km long trail 21 January 2021 A cycling route spanning 1207km has opened between New York and Canada. The trail consists... read more Delightful Valentine’s Day hotel specials around the country 20 January 2021 With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s time to check out the romantic specials -... read more The world’s 10 most spine-chilling destinations 19 January 2021 There are certain places on Earth that are best left undiscovered because of the sheer... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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