While the sector is undoubtedly one of the major contributors to the development of the economy, the Tourism Fund doesn’t have a lot of money in its coffers.Now is the time to focus, funds and fast action to make a real difference, and we need both President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address and the budget speech to address concrete steps head-on, to fast-track tourism.
South Africa lost 615 000 overseas and African tourists last year alone. Of these, 215 000 tourist losses were due to the year-to-date decline. As a country we must face our realities with solutions, and that includes working with new challenges. There is a lot riding on the amount of investment and the depth of resolve required by South Africa to significantly impact the value chain in a way that will positively change the narrative.
Without question this was an experience that created incredible images for those who were there, even more importantly it’s the kind of event that makes South Africans proud as a nation.Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain play a tennis match at Cape Town Stadium as part of an exhibition game held to support the education of African children, on February 8 2020 in Cape Town. Picture: Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesIt’s time to flesh out the broad goals.