Parliament, Tuesday, 21 April 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Tourism today raised concerns that the Department of Tourism’s Annual Performance Plan (APP) for the 2026/27 financial year does not adequately address several longstanding challenges in the sector.
During a briefing by the department, the committee heard that it had been allocated a budget of R7.9 billion over the medium-term (MTEF), with R2.54 billion allocated for this financial year. Over half of this budget, including R1.27 billion in the current financial year, is transferred to South African Tourism.
The committee welcomed the tourism sector’s continued recovery, with over 10.5 million arrivals recorded last year. However, the Chairperson of the committee, Ms Ronalda Nalumango, pointed out that the current geopolitical instability, particularly the war in the Middle East, indicates the need to strengthen domestic tourism.
Among the committee’s concerns was that the APPs of both the department and South African Tourism are not adequately responding to the needs of villages, townships and small dorpies. Members noted that oversight visits showed that these areas are often neglected. This is mainly due to insufficient marketing of tourist attractions in townships and the underdevelopment and underutilisation of tourism monitors, which could help ensure tourists' safety.
The committee also expressed concern about the department’s failure to meet targets for job creation, particularly through Working for Tourism infrastructure projects. Another concern was the slow pace of transformation in the tourism sector. In this regard, Members noted the limited progress of the Tourism Transformation Council of South Africa. While the committee welcomed programmes such as the Tourism Transformation Fund, the return of the Market Access Programme and other training initiatives, it highlighted the need for measurable impact.
Governance challenges at South African Tourism, particularly unfilled vacancies, were another concern Members raised. The committee urged the entity to fill these posts urgently and to prioritise senior management posts. It also called on the department and the Minister to strengthen oversight of South African Tourism and ensure that a new permanent board fulfils its fiduciary and reporting responsibilities.
The committee resolved that both the department and South African Tourism must include dashboard presentations in quarterly reports to show the impact of the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan and the Tourism Route Development Marketing Plan. It also directed the department to report quarterly on infrastructure investment projects and outline progress in acquiring funding for bankable projects. The committee further instructed the department and South African Tourism to submit additional information, including impact assessment outcomes, return on investment for planned programmes, tracking the conversions of marketing campaigns to actual bookings, and the names of small towns expected to benefit from planned projects.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, MS RONALDA NALUMANGO.
For media inquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sureshinee Govender (Ms)
Cell: 081 704 1109
E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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