Programme director
Mayors present
Members of Parliament present
Councillors present
Stakeholders from the tourism industry present
Government officials present
Dignitaries present
Ladies and gentlemen
All protocol observed
We wish to express our greatest delight for being part of this August occasion, where we are meeting to look at ways of accelerating the strides that we have already made in empowering our women, particularly in the tourism sector.
Programme director, we meet at a critical time in the evolution of our nascent democracy. Today the struggle to improve the lot of women has not only borne tangible fruits, but our womenfolk can now walk with their heads held high, knowing that there are no legislations in our country which condemn them to subservient roles in society owing to their biological make-up.
It seems like a distant memory that not too long ago, profound chauvinistic notions were so embedded in our society as if they were the mantra of who we are. For that we off our hats off to Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Phyllis Naidoo, Florence Mkhize and other luminaries of our liberation movement who were path finders of this struggle of women empowerment. Not only did they shatter the myth that women were born to be servants of men, but they taught us that women can fight side by side with men for a just and human society.
However, it is a well known fact that while the struggle for the emancipation of our people from the shackles of apartheid and colonialism was raging, women were suffering in silence as they were oppressed in their very homes. This oppression, for the majority of South African women was referred to as triple oppression because they were oppressed as women, as workers as well as African women. We salute the women for their struggles which have helped to shape as a non-sexist democracy that is the envy of the world.
While the sun of democracy has dawned in our country, giving birth to a society that is premised on equality and a society in which being African is no longer a permanent curse, the reality, Programme Director, is that there is a still a lot that needs to be done in order to ensure that women are afforded the opportunity to play a role in all fields of human endeavour.
The scourge of the abuse of women continues to be a blot on our hard worn democracy that we should all collectively fight with the same zest and gallantry that we used to vanquish the apartheid edifice.
Programme Director, in the last few decades, the tourism industry has undergone a period of explosive growth, and as a labour intensive industry, there has consequently been a rapid rate of job creation and development. In South Africa, tourism has entrenched itself as a growth economic sector which has contributed massively in the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) with R83,1 billion. In the year 2008/09, it is estimated that the province of KwaZulu-Natal generated over R18,3 billion in direct contribution to the economy and more than R26 billion in indirect contributions to the economy.
At least 83 000 direct jobs and 167 400 indirect employment opportunities were created in the tourism sector during the year under review. Tourism can play an even more significant role if the industry’s potential is unlocked, with targeted interventions to enhance women participation into the mainstream tourism activities.
The tourism industry by its nature unleashes diverse opportunities for participation by women.
This is particularly so because in the recent years we have witnessed an increase in women owned tourism enterprises, not only in the hospitality industry, but also as tourism service providers including tour guiding and tour-operating businesses, which is the future of tourism given the current emerging trends within the industry.
The tourism sector definitely provides various entry points for women’s employment and opportunities for creating self employment in small and medium sized income generating activities, thus creating paths towards the elimination of poverty for women and local communities in KwaZulu-Natal.
While we have made noticeable strides to open the portal of opportunities for women in the tourism sector, it is however, our earnest dream to see women graduating from Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) status to owning hotels in the league of internationally renowned luxury hotels and involved in major inbound and outbound tour operating businesses. However there are a number of conditions under which this potential can be used more effectively to ensure that women benefit and participate meaningfully in the mainstream of the tourism economy. This requires collaboration of all social partners (governments, intergovernmental bodies, local government, industry, trade unions, local communities and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and community based tourism initiatives) The general picture suggests that there is an imbalance in employment opportunities particularly in management opportunities.
The largest percentage of employment is occupied by women at lower levels, such as waitresses, chambermaids, cleaners, travel agencies sales persons, flight attendants etc., whereas men are employed as hotel managers, general managers, pilots and CEOs. In spite of this skewed gender distribution of job opportunities in the tourism sector, the reality, programme director, is that women have a big role to play in the success of the tourism industry in the world and in KwaZulu-Natal in particular.
At this juncture, we believe that it would be remiss of us not to talk about the importance of transformation in the tourism sector. As all of us know, our Department is a custodian of the implementation of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) in the province, of which one of its critical pillars is the promotion of women empowerment. A draft tourism transformation plan has also been developed which will further advance transformation in the Tourism Industry thus ensuring issues pertaining to women empowerment, especially in rural areas, are appropriately addressed.
Empowerment of women is a key to government strategies as highlighted by our state president in his state of the nation address as well as the premier of the province in his state of the province address.
Programme director, we must stress that this summit aims to bring gender aspects of tourism to the attention of policy makers, especially the issues of women’s employment in the tourism industry and women’s local participation in tourism planning and management and also to encourage women in this sector to network and share ideas together that will contribute significantly not only in this industry but in their positions and their businesses as well.
Programme director, all of us we are aware that the world is buckling under the burden of the economic meltdown. The tourism industry in KwaZulu-Natal has not been immune as the global economic recession is beginning to have a significant impact on the tourism industry within the province. The direct international arrivals in South Africa are at minus 10 percent compared to the same period in 2008.
This has a direct negative bearing in our tourism industry in KwaZulu-Natal as we derive market share from these international arrivals. If we use Durban as a benchmark for the province, you will realise that hotel occupancies in the province are declining with occupancy rate sitting at 62,3 percent compared to 67,3 percent during the same period in 2008. It is against this background and the general effects of the economic recession in many other economic sectors in the province that our department hosted the KwaZulu-Natal Roadmap to Economic Recovery and Jobs Summit on the 6 to 7 of this month at Sibaya Casino. The overarching aim of the summit was to bring together all our social partners in an endeavour to craft strategies that will see our province through this economic trying period.
As a pioneering province, we believe that we should be proud of what we have collectively done in attempting to find solutions to the economic recession with a buy-in from all the social partners, including labour, business and government. We must be proud as the people of KwaZulu-Natal for having conceptualised and implemented this initiative which will now be used by the national government as a benchmark for practical strategies to combat the recession.
Programme director, one of the critical ingredients of a thriving tourism industry is service excellence. If we are to hold our own in the fierce global tourism industry, we need to inculcate a culture of service excellence in the tourism industry. The reality is that economic contraction has gobbled up a huge chunk of the global tourism spend.
Because the disposable income is oil that greases the tourism wheel, in difficult times like these tourists are more likely to visit areas where they are guaranteed that they will receive an unforgettable tourism experience.
Therefore if we are to survive in this rough and tumble world of scare resources we need to improve on our service levels. Our department, Programme director, views service excellence as critical as we prepare for 2010 and beyond. In this regard, working with the national Department of Tourism, we have commissioned the services of Disney Institute, an internationally recognised research partner to conduct research throughout the country on service excellence. This exercise will identify the barriers and opportunities on service excellence amongst all the market segments of the tourism industry in our country and in our province.
With less than 294 days left before our country hosts the biggest sporting extravaganza on earth, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it is of critical importance that we get service excellence right. The reality is that the memories that many people who will visit this country for the first time next year will cherish for the rest of their lives will not be made of only the spectacular goals that will be scored during the world cup, but they will be about the friendliness or lack thereof, of South Africans, particularly in the hospitality industry.
We cannot therefore afford to let slip such a lifetime opportunity to show case to the world what South Africa is all about in service delivery stakes. We need to ensure that the experience that we provide to our visitors is something that every visitor will remember throughout the event and be able to come back with friends or family. We also need to ensure that our service culture exceeds those provided by other leading renowned travel destinations in the world. In short we need to push the boundaries of service delivery excellence in the tourism industry.
In this regard, the department has designed programmes aimed at assisting small scale businesses particularly those owned by the previously disadvantaged in preparation for 2010 and beyond which includes, among others, grading support incentive aimed at encouraging business to be graded. Being graded means government at all levels could procure your services and it also builds visitors confidence. As part of rural development initiative which is one of the key government priorities, the department, through community based tourism will be assisting communities in realising their tourism potential.
Over and above this, our department has started the tourism mentorship programme which is aimed at assisting emerging businesses in reaching their full potential through being mentored by well established businesses. The programme not only looks at business formalization aspect it also puts much importance on service excellence which is key to any business for growth.
As all of us know, the word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool that can make or break your tourism business. Once you receive bad service you don’t return to that place and above all you talk about it, and this is why these skills are needed and they are very crucial.
Programme director, we believe that Ugu District and Hibiscus Coast municipalities should be applauded in their effort to upgrade and revitalise the Margate Regional Airport which is the initiative that can be linked to the new King Shaka Airport which will open new opportunities for Ugu as a whole to tap into new international opportunities that will soon be realised in the province. The statistics we are receiving and the decline in tourism economic activities in the province must therefore not scare you as we have started a road to recovery before our boat sinks to the bottom. The resolutions taken at the conference will assist us to cushion the tourism industry and ensure that your businesses continue to thrive and KwaZulu-Natal remains the leading province in terms of attracting domestic tourism.
In conclusion, allow me Programme director to share with you the incisive words of Harry S Truman when he says I quote “I studied the lives of great men and women, and found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work,” the tourism industry requires lots of energy and enthusiasm, patience, caring and understanding and those are some of the qualities that women in general have and we have no doubt in our mind that you as women are on your way to the top.
I thank you
Issued by: Department of Economic Development and Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
18 August 2009
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za/)
