At the dawn of the seventh administration, South Africa has been presented with a golden opportunity to design the future of tourism for the next five to 10 years and to place the sector firmly in the spotlight of national dialogues on inclusive economic growth and job creation.
Speaking at the first in a series of media briefings to highlight the sectors undervalued role in economic growth, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille highlighted that tourism consistently contributes more to South Africas GDP than the powerhouse industries of manufacturing, mining and agriculture.
According to Statistics South Africa figures, the trade, catering and accommodation sectors contributed R520 million (26m) to the countrys GDP in the first quarter of the year, second only to the finance, real estate and business service sector (R1.1 billion (55m)); and the personal services sector (R747.5m (37.4m)). By comparison, manufacturing contributed R517m (25.9m); mining R201m (10m); and agriculture, forestry and fisheries R126.4m (6.3m).
The tourism sector is often overlooked as a key economic sector yet it is a significant contributor and driver of economic growth and job creation. As we commence the seventh administration, our mission is to elevate the profile of tourism by supporting efforts to grow the sector and demonstrating this growth and the sectors impact on the economy and communities, said De Lille.
Time to implementShe stressed the need for urgency to implement the numerous plans laid out for the sector including the Tourism Sector Masterplan adopted by cabinet in October 2023, and the Tourism Sector Strategic Plan.
