province
8 November 2006
Tourism is an important contributor to the Western Cape. It accounts for
approximately 9,8% of the Gross Regional Product and employs 9,6% of province's
workforce. It has also been identified as one of the 13 growth sectors in the
province. There are also growing sub-sectors within it, such as eco and
adventure tourism, incentive tourism, health tourism, business and conference
tourism.
The Western Cape is also at an advantageous position because tourism in the
province continues to grow above the national average. This is attributed to
the fact that Western Cape is the jewel in the crown of South African (SA)
Tourism. In 2003 there were 1,5 million foreign arrivals compared to 1,3
million in 2002; which means that we had a 13,8% growth rate, which is above
national average of 1,2%. Our total share of SA Tourism market is 24% which is
behind Gauteng's 51%.
The Western Cape also boasts 8 out of 10 top South African tourist
attractions as voted by the tourists. The key foreign markets for the Western
Cape are the United Kingdom and Germany. The Government of the Western Cape has
recognised the importance and potential of tourism. For the first time in the
history of the Province, the Government of Western Cape has sponsored the
training of 22 historically disadvantaged learners to undertake a three-month
Tourist Guide training programme at the Cape Technikon. The programme began in
late May 2004 and cost the provincial government R100 000.
The training included important unit standards as laid out in the National
Qualifications Framework (NQF); such as Customer Care and Communication,
Guiding Techniques, Cultural and Heritage Tourism and Responsible and
Sustainable Development. The 22 trainee Tourist Guides came from different
parts of the province, including the West Coast, Boland and Overberg.
A graduation ceremony will be held at the Cape Town Hotel School on
Saturday, 11 November 2006. Lynne Brown, the Western Cape Minister of Finance,
Economic Development and Tourism will address the Graduation Ceremony. She is
also expected to announce that the training programme will be extended to
include a mentorship programme. She said: "The trainee Tourist Guides will
undergo a selection process and be placed in a mentorship programme for a
further practical work period of three months. A positive outcome of the
mentorship programme is that it will assist them to gain additional guiding
experience by allowing them to 'shadow' other experienced Tourist Guides." The
mentorship programme is a partnership agreement between the Department of
Economic Development and Tourism and the Cape Tourist Guides' Association
(CTGA).
The trainees will be able to record their time spent with their mentors in a
log book which can be shown to potential employers as evidence of experience
and used as a type of "reference letter." Once they have completed the
programme, the trainees may officially register as Tourist Guides with the
Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
Minister Brown indicated that both she and her department are seriously
committed to addressing transformation in the Tourist Guide industry and to
creating real sustainable and effective tourism opportunities within the
industry. She said: "At present 60% of tourists in South Africa are local and I
believe that, if the products and services are right, there is an immediate
opportunity to increase this number considerably. It is the duty of all who
graduate from this programme to ensure that they play their role in increasing
local tourism to the Western Cape."
Enquiries:
Thabo Mabaso
Tel: (021) 483 3531
Cell: 083 414 8144
E-mail: tmabaso@pgwc.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Finance and Tourism, Western Cape Provincial
Government
8 November 2006
Source: Western Cape Department of Finance and Tourism (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
