ACCORDING TO the head of East Cape Tourism, Nomkhita Mona, tourists spent some R480 million in the province during the summer season. She says R360 million was spent in hotels, guest houses, lodges and holiday resorts. Hotels in the Wild Coast reported a bumper season, while there were high occupancies throughout most of the rest of the province. Entertainment venues like restaurants benefited from people visiting families in the province. They spent an additional R120 million. Another success was a pilot project to help keep holiday makers in the Wild Coast safe. Fifteen volunteers, armed with two-way radios linked to emergency services, patrolled areas of Hole in the Wall, Coffee Bay and Port St Johns in late December. The safety project, believed to be a first in South Africa had the support of Eastern Cape Tourism and the SA Police Services. The cadet volunteers assisted the SAPS in combating crime until the fifth of January. There is little time for the industry in Port Elizabeth and East London in particular to recover. The warm-up matches for the Cricket World Cup start in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth, on the fourth of February, with a match between Eastern Province and England. The English team, which will be based in Port Elizabeth, is accompanied by the “Barmy Army,” which is renowned for its free spending. Nine of the World Cup games will be played in Port Elizabeth and East London.