America’s loss could be SA’s gain

Country would do well to capitalise on US’s unfriendliness towards Muslim tourists

DONALD Trump has ordered that the American Embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. His decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a dramatic act that has led to international condemnation. The decision is groundbreaking because no other country has an embassy in Jerusalem.

The US’s allies, which include Germany, have criticised the decision, noting its negative impact on the elusive quest for peace in the Middle East.

It led to protests in Palestine, and a Day of Rage was declared, which turned deadly. At least two people were killed in clashes with Israeli troops on December 8 when thousands of Palestinians demonstrated. An estimated 5 000 Palestinian protesters held demonstrations and clashed with Israeli security forces after midday prayers.

Jerusalem is a city that is sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Israeli government regards Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital, while the Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.

It is possibly the capital city of religious tourism in the world, as Israel and Palestine compete for religious tourists. The instability that will escalate has the potential to dampen tourist arrivals in Jerusalem.

Trump is clearly anti-Muslim and this can be traced back to his decision to ban travel to the US from seven Muslim countries in January. His executive order created havoc at airports throughout the world, and Airbnb offered free accommodation, activating its Disaster Response Programme. The US is one of the top tourism destinations in the world tourism economy, and the Trump ban has done much to dampen Muslim tourism arrivals to the US.

Not since September 11, has the US done so much to be Muslim unfriendly. Every crisis is pregnant with opportunity, and this crisis must never be allowed to go to waste. Muslim tourism is a niche market segment that South Africa must be going out of its way to attract.

America’s loss should benefit Muslim-friendly South Africa, if concerted efforts are undertaken to engage the market.

Tourism has been identified as the “new gold’’ and it remains the immediate solution to the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. It is labour intensive, meaning that the growth in the number of tourists means more job opportunities.

The halaal hospitality rating system, Salam Standard’s, report titled “The Global Economic Impact of Muslim Tourism 2015/2016” noted that the Islamic economy is growing at twice the rate of the world economy, and the Muslim tourist has a projected value of $223 billion by 2020. Muslim travel spend hit $145bn in 2015, generating more than $50bn in global gross domestic product.

Cape Town and Durban have immense potential to capitalise on the Muslim market. Cape Town has underplayed the potential of Muslim tourism considering the history of Muslim resistance, best reflected by Robben Island. Long before the arrival of political prisoners on Robben Island, the island incarcerated Muslim royalty, among them Tuan Guru. The skewed representation of Robben Island’s history, defeats the pursuit of Muslim tourism. The plethora of halaal gastronomical outlets in Cape Town is an added advantage. South Africa is ranked the second most halaal-friendly country for a non-Organisation of Islamic Co-operation member.

Tourists require peace as a prerequisite, and this must be the primary dividend for every citizen. For tourism to grow, it requires open skies, and open skies mean lower aviation prices. It requires a favourable visa regiment, and this means more arrivals, and more jobs.

Maybe Trump is not so bad after all as he ensured more Muslim tourists shun the US for SA. Let’s exploit this to our advantage.