Parliament, Friday, 12 May 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Tourism today heard a report from South African Tourism (SAT) on its Strategic Plan and the Annual Performance Plan.
The Committee appreciates the report and commends the entity for its efforts to encourage South African tourism. The Committee notes that SA Tourism (SAT) has undertaken to increase efforts to boost domestic tourism, as the Department and SAT performed poorly in this area.
During the restructuring process, SAT realised that domestic tourism offices must be capacitated to the same level as international ones. Provincial tourism must be strengthened to uncover new destinations and should include activities such as sports, arts and culture, and business events (conferences and conventions) to increase the growth of tourism at provincial level. The major thrust is to convert business tourism into leisure tourism to boost domestic tourism, with an emphasis on rural and township tourism.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Beatrice Ngcobo, appreciated the econometrics study conducted by SAT, which informed the current Marketing Investment Framework used to shape the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan and the 2017/18 Annual Performance Plan. She called for the Department and SAT to work together to ensure that signage for tourist sites is prioritised at all the major tourist destinations in South Africa.
The Department welcomed the new ideas emanating from the Committee to promote tourism in “Open Spaces’, such as the Karoo, and a collaboration with Wines of SA to promote South Africa as a wine destination.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, MS BEATRICE NGCOBO
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