The tourism industry in SA is at a critical juncture, which coincides with the recent appointment of Patricia de Lille as the new tourism minister. While De Lille’s energy and fighting spirit are encouraging, the challenges facing the industry are significant and the time frame for action is limited.As the founder of a hotel group I have witnessed the significant impact our industry has on the SA economy, contributing up to 6% of GDP.
De Lille can get a sense from Satsa of the transport issues, visa problems and other challenges that need to be tackled to help tourism grow. If they have a frank conversation Satsa CEO David Frost will be able to give the minister a good overview of the 10 points he has been highlighting for the past decade, with little or no support from the government.
Similarly, she needs to take a serious look at the tourism safety and security programme, which was discussed at about the same time. Law enforcement agencies need to work closely with the industry to improve crime prevention, especially as crime is the number one negative factor affecting SA’s attractiveness as a tourism destination.