The 2010 FIFA World Cup has made a positive contribution to the tourism sector. It has helped increase awareness of South Africa as a tourist and investment destination. It has also provided us with an opportunity to reach markets that we would not have been able to reach due to limited resources.
The national Department of Tourism together with South African Tourism and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) addressed media in Johannesburg today on the Draft National Tourism Sector Strategy.
Deputy Director-General in the Department of Tourism, Mr Victor Tharage, said the strategy is a sector wide plan and includes deliverables for all major role players in the tourism sector.
Its core objectives are to grow the tourism sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP), achieve transformation, provide excellent people development and decent jobs and entrench a culture of travel amongst South Africans.
As encapsulated in the Draft National Tourism Sector Strategy, the sector's goal is to boldly grow responsible tourism and deliver a memorable experience to all our visitors as well as sustainable benefits for all South Africans.
The Draft National Tourism Sector Strategy was launched on 28 May 2010 for public comment for a period of 31 days. The comment period ends on 31 July 2010.
One of the highlights of the strategy is the establishment of the National Convention and Events Bureau, which will be responsible for business tourism and events marketing at national level.
Chief marketing officer for Tourism South Africa together with the Department of Sports is currently completing a strategy on sports tourism which will look at the big events that the country can host.
Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Business Council (TBCSA), Ms Matsatsi Marobe expressed the appreciation of the private sector that the national Department of Tourism has involved all key stakeholders, including the private sector in the drafting of the strategy.
She further said the private sector would like to see government taking more robust ownership of tourism because it plays a major role in job creation and poverty eradication.
The NTSS has identified the following medium term actions and targets to be reached by 2015:
- to grow tourism's direct contribution to GDP from an estimated R64.5 billion or 3.2 percent of GDP in 2009 to R125 billion or 3.5 percent of GDP
- to grow tourism's total (direct and indirect) contribution to GDP from an estimated R173.9 billion or 8.7 percent of GDP in 2009 to R338.2 billion or 9.4 percent of GDP
- to increase the number of foreign arrivals from 9.9 million in 2009 to 13.5 million in 2015
- to increase the number of direct jobs supported by the sector from an estimated 575 000 in 2009 to 800 000 and
- to increase the number of total (direct and idirect) jobs supported by the sector from an estimated 1.4 million in 2009 to 1.9 million.
The final strategy should be ready by the first quarter of 2011/12.
Following the closing date of the comment period, the department will consolidate all inputs, draft a final copy and thereafter present it to parliament before it becomes a public document. Comments should be submitted to: strategy@tourism.gov.za.
The Department of Tourism will lead and monitor the implementation of the strategy.
Media enquiries can be referred to:
Trevor Bloem
Tel: 012 310 3631
Cell: 082 771 6729
E-mail: tbloem@tourism.gov.za
Source: Department of Tourism
