Department aims to transform the tourism fraternity to enhance economic growth
The course to transforming the tourism sector in the North West province took another giant leap to the right direction when the departmental executive, senior and middle management of the North West department of Tourism converged at the Kwa Maritane Guest Lodge in the PIlanesberg National Park to craft the 2014 - 2019 Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan which will serve as the two strategically guiding documents for the department to achieve its set goals.
Giving her Tourism policy perspective for the next five years, MEC Desbo Mohono said that the newly established department should be compared to planting a seed that will in three years become a tree and after five drudgery and toiling years it will then become a forest.
“The development of these strategic documents we are crafting has to at the end of the five years term give effect and sound to our mandate with the emphasis on growth, development and most importantly transformation. In no uncertain terms and without any fear nor favour, the core in all our programmes should be transformation. We will re-visit the 2004 Tourism Charter which speaks volumes about transformation within the sector”, she said.
Mohono added that in whatever the department is doing, the end results should favour the people. “Using the National Development Plan as a point of departure, the North West Provincial Development Plan 2030 set out eight broad principal priority areas under which targets are set to address the challenges experienced in the province.
“Despite Tourism not featuring directly to all eight developmental priorities, the Province recognises and acknowledges the fact that, we together with Agriculture and Culture are the main drivers of the expected six percent economy growth in the next five years”, she said.
“The tourism Act, 2014 (Act No.3 of 2014) should be our blue print in whatever plan we are embarking on in all our programmes. It clearly stipulates and makes provision for the promotion of Tourism in South Africa downscaling it to all other nine provinces”, she added
Furthermore MEC Mohono said that the focus and mandate has to be radical when coming to policy, planning and implementation, “Our documents have to speak and create a conducive environment for our people to sail through at ease. Planning, Coordination and Integration, Syndication of Resources, Skills Development, Research, Enterprise Support, Investment Promotion, Signature Events, Products Packaging these are tools that can carry our programmes forward thus making our people a step closer to the promised land”, she concluded.
In conclusion MEC Mohono urged those present to grab the bull by its horn and said that the department has to capitalize on the fact that it is still on crawling stages meaning energy, creativity, passion and most importantly hunger is still intact.
“We are not an exception, now ours is to grab a bull by its horns and knuckle down. If we are to take the Tourism sector to greater heights within the province we have to abide by the five pillars of development which are economy and employment, economic infrastructure, integrated and inclusive rural economy, spatial transformation and lastly building a capable and developmental Province as set out by our provincial administration”, Mohono said
Enquiries:
Dineo Lolokwane (Spokesperson)
Cell: 072 542 8444
Tel: 018 388 2081
E-mail: dlolokwane@nwpg.gov.za
