At the 2018 International Travel Trade Show in Germany held in March 2018, South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona stated that tourism is vitally important to the South African economy and that the sector should be nurtured for sustained and inclusive growth. Importantly – the growing number of people employed in tourism shows that youth should consider the sector when exploring career opportunities
Tourism is regarded as a modern-day engine of growth and is one of the largest industries globally. In addition to being a labour-intensive industry, tourism holds the potential to drive increases in export earnings in a trading environment that is generally less volatile than that of commodity exports.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) indicated that travel and tourism in South Africa, directly employs more people than the mining, communication services, automotive manufacturing and chemicals manufacturing sectors.
According to the latest Tourism and Migration Survey, almost 3.5 million tourists passed through South Africa’s ports of entry in August 2017.
There are many opportunities in tourism, as it is one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa. Some investment and business opportunities include infrastructure development; accommodations like hotels, boutique hotels, lodges and resorts; adventure, eco-adventures, sports, conference and cultural tourism; leisure complexes and world-class golf courses; attractions and activity-based tourism; and museums and heritage, cultural, music, arts festivals and events … only to name a few.
South Africa continues to focus on business tourism as an area with significant growth potential. The country is among the top 15 long-haul business events destinations globally, and is the premier business events destination in Africa.
Our advanced infrastructure combined with magnificent scenic beauty, rich biodiversity, sunny climate, cultural diversity and a reputation for delivering value for money experiences, have made it one of the world’s fastest growing tourism destinations.
Content source: Brand SA
