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Local government departments are becoming much more mindful of the benefits of tourism, according to Tourism Minister, Tokozile Xasa, and Des van Rooyen, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Addressing the Local Government Tourism Conference in Johannesburg on Monday, both ministers highlighted the benefits of tourism. Van Rooyen added that tourism has been prioritised in the new growth path.
Councillor Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, Deputy President of South African Local Government Association, said the association was also a firm supporter of tourism as an economic driver, adding that tourism impacted the lives of everyone. She added that because tourism happened at a local level, it was well placed to enrich the lives of local communities.
Van Rooyen said tourism was a crucial part of local economic development and a powerful job creator. He said while agriculture and mining had for a long time formed the core of local economic development, tourism was increasingly becoming an economic driver at local level. He emphasised that, to encourage growth, local government needed to create an enabling environment at a local level, through the provision of services and also driving partnerships that sustained growth.
However, Van Rooyen emphasised that more needed to be done to capacitate municipalities so that they could deliver on the task ahead of them. He added that government’s “back to basics” programme was aimed at capacitating municipalities.
Sоurсе: tourismupdate.co.za
