Tourism Ministers commit to creating jobs

Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom and his G20 counterparts have committed their countries to create more jobs and promote entrepreneurship in tourism, especially for women and the youth.

The G20 forum aims to strengthen cooperation between advanced and emerging countries.

The Tourism Ministers from the G20 countries form the T20 group, which held its annual meeting in Buenos Aires in April.

Minister Hanekom was invited by José Gustavo Santos, the Minister of Tourism in Argentina, the host country for this year's meeting.

“The global focus on creating jobs in tourism fits in perfectly with South Africa's strategy to tackle unemployment, poverty and inequality through inclusive tourism growth. The digital revolution, and the sharing economy that it supports, is changing the nature of jobs in tourism,” Minister Hanekom said.

“We need to work together through platforms like the T20 to formulate policy and devise innovative strategies that create decent, meaningful work for the people who need it most,” he added.

The T20 statement notes that tourism accounts for 10 percent of the world’s gross domestic product.

Tourism creates jobs within the sector and in many other linked sectors, and supports a higher share of employment for women and the youth, entrepreneurship and business opportunities in rural areas, compared to many other sectors of the economy. It also contributes to the preservation of natural resources and cultural heritage.

All member countries committed to establishing tourism innovation centres, incentives and programmes to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship, and to linking start-ups, main companies, investors and governments.