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Through the National Tourism Sector Strategy, currently gazetted for comment, the Department of Tourism, aims to double tourism’s contribution to GDP over the next decade.
Presenting her Tourism Budget Vote Speech in Parliament on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Thokozile Xasa said the department aims to achieve over 200% growth in tourism’s direct contribution to GDP, growing the 2015 GDP figure of R118 billion to R302 billion in 2026.
“The indirect contribution to GDP will be just under a trillion rands at R941 billion from the 2015 figure of R375 billion,” she said. She added that more than 300 000 additional jobs will be created by 2026, bringing direct employment to one million, up from 700 000 in 2015.
R2,1 billion has been allocated to tourism, with 53% of the figure allocated to SA Tourism to market SA domestically and internationally. The balance of the funding will be used by the department for programmes including its tourism incentive programme, public works programmes for skills development, destination development and enterprise development.
Speaking to the media ahead of the budget vote, Xasa said that President Jacob Zuma’s opening of Indaba last week showed that tourism has been prioritised, adding that she is hopeful that as this sector continues to grow, a greater budget allocation will be given to the tourism portfolio.
“This sector deserves more support and recognition in our country because it provides more opportunities and has lower barriers to entry,” Xasa said in Parliament. She emphasised the importance of the sector in sustaining the economy, adding that globally, the sector has achieved growth for the seventh consecutive year.
Xasa reiterated the five in five campaign, which seeks to grow the number of arrivals in South Africa by five million over the next five years, with four million additional international tourists and one million additional domestic tourists. To grow the number of events hosted in the country, R90 million has been allocated to a bidding fund, to be used over the medium term.
In terms of destination development, the department is developing a framework for precinct development, with an emphasis on township and rural tourism. “Initial efforts will be focused on Vilikazi Street in Soweto, with a view to replicate the model in other viable townships across the country,” said Xasa.
Sоurсе: tourismupdate.co.za
