Domestic tourism boosts EC
WHEN he was asked what he would do when he retired, the late president, Nelson Mandela, was emphatic in his reply: “Walk the beautiful hills and valleys of my home region”. Madiba was referring to South Africa’s best-kept tourism secret, the Eastern Cape, aptly referred to as the cradle of the anti-apartheid struggle and home of legends such as Madiba, the Mbeki family, Steve Biko, Robert Sobukwe and many others.
The UN World Tourism Organisation urges us to celebrate September as Tourism Month through the theme “Accessible tourism for all”. This means as a country and province we need to create an environment that can cater for the needs of all, whether one is travelling or staying at home, for the disabled, for families with small children and for the ageing population.
As a nation, we must become tourists in our own country. We must enjoy what attracts millions of foreign tourists each year, the beautiful destinations, rich in culture and heritage.
Domestic tourists are the lifeblood of South Africa’s tourism industry, which is regarded as a major driver of the country’s economic growth. It contributed more than R20.2-billion to the national economy last year.
Tourism can bring tolerance and understanding among different cultures, and can contribute to a better living standard.
When domestic tourism grows, we create a nation of tourism ambassadors. Well-travelled locals can confidently recommend to foreign tourists and fellow South Africans the best places to visit in our country.
We need to value domestic tourists as much as we value foreign visitors. To succeed, it is critical for the tourism sector to hone its products and tourism offerings for the domestic market.
South Africa currently ranks 24th among the world’s top tourism destinations and the Eastern Cape is a key to our country’s success as a holiday destination.
Encompassing the forests of Tsitsikamma, the spectacular semi-desert of the Great Karoo, being home to five-star wildlife parks such as Shamwari and the Addo Elephant National Park, the exciting Wild Coast, the region where the 19th century British and Dutch settlers struggled for supremacy and waged war with the indigenous Xhosas, the home of resistance to apartheid, where Mandela’s long road to freedom began, the Eastern Cape is a world in itself.
Tourism is a critical contributor to our country and province’s gross domestic product, employment, foreign currency earnings and investment.
South Africa is one of the world’s most remarkable tourism success stories. Over the last decade, the number of visitors to our country has practically tripled and so did the exports generated by international tourism.
The travel and tourism industry’s future depends on the realisation of its potential, and its integration into the global economic and political agenda.
The Eastern Cape has made huge strides in attracting tourists to the country. Further investment is now needed to continue advancing this critical industry, both in marketing funds from the government and hotel infrastructure investment from the private sector.
Travel and tourism employed more than 35 000 people directly in the Eastern Cape last year. According to the inaugural Eastern Cape Annual Tourism Barometer 2015, South African travellers took 3.2 million trips to the Eastern Cape, spending an estimated R3-billion in total direct value last year.
The number was up by 1.2 million trips in comparison to 2014 and means that domestic tourism is on the rise in the Eastern Cape.
The barometer reported that the Eastern Cape stands in sixth position in terms of domestic travel and in eighth position in terms of international travel. According to the barometer, based on statistics drawn from a variety of sources, the Eastern Cape accounted for 4.4% of South Africa’s more than 10 million international tourist arrivals last year.
Travel and tourism is a major contributor to economic growth, to trade, to job creation, to diversification of the economy and to social well-being. It is vital that the travel and tourism industry in the Eastern Cape and across the country gets the right support and investment at government level to allow the industry to continue to thrive.
Tourism growth demonstrates that public-private collaboration plays a key role in advancing tourism’s contribution to inclusive development, particularly in emerging destinations where the sector can make a significant positive impact in local communities.
While every destination has its priorities and strategies, there is a common goal also to promote South Africa as a country. The Eastern Cape will continue to be at the forefront in supporting this industry.
With the promotion of domestic tourism, tourist arrivals will continue to grow, investors will see excellent returns, jobs will be created and our country’s entire economy will benefit.