The Garden Route Tourism Marketing Association (Gartour) was established for the purpose of effective and aggressive marketing of the Garden Route Coast as a Tourism destination.

Gartour is non-profit making and its members are major role players from the many products that make up the tourism industry of the Garden Route Cost. Gartour's objectives are to promote the Garden Route as a tourism destination and to promote the tourism products and attractions of the area. Gartour works in co-operation with the regional and local tourism authorities, integrating its own marketing initiatives closely with the plans developed for the area by the regional authorities.

As a united group, Gartour's strength and expertise are considerable, making marketing costs more affordable to its members and effectively spearheading the marketing of the Garden Route Coast by private enterprise, to both domestic and international markets.

Gartour considers the Garden Route Coast to include all products within the area bounded by Stilbaai and Tsitsikamma, as well as the coastline between. International marketing of the Garden Route by Gartour has always included Cape Town and Port Elizabeth as critical entry/exit points and major tourist attractions which together with the Garden Route, form a comprehensive tourism package - the Greater Cape Route.