Tourism in a state of emergency

MBOMBELA – Domestic tourism is in dire straits and the blame is being laid on the provincial government’s doorstep.

The constant refusal to engage with major stakeholders to develop and grow this vital economical sector has had a detrimental effect with major foreign tourist agencies contemplating withdrawal from Mpumalanga. The province currently lies in sixth place as the most visited province in South Africa.

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The Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT), led by Oupa Pilane, cites the lack of leadership, unreliable service delivery, protests, crumbling attractions, unsafe conditions, unsafe roads, looming water crisis and the uncertainty around the World Heritage Site’s development, as some of the challenges facing this dilapidated sector.

A crisis mass meeting with stakeholders and the media will be held today to address challenges, find solutions and to prepare a petition to hand over to the minister of tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane. She will visit the province next Friday.

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Pilane estimates that local tourism has allegedly decreased by 70,2 per cent.
According to the president of the KLCBT, the foreign tourist operators are apparently considering entering the Kruger National Park through Limpopo, which is investing a considerable amount more towards critical infrastructure, roads and the safety of tourists.

A National Tourism Sector Strategy 2016-2026 was published by national government focuses on inclusive growth, which must fundamentally be based on domestic and international tourist market growth and expenditure increases.
“It gives a framework on how a tourism forum should be established, but the private sector says government has failed them,” said Pilane.

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He reiterated that the plan was supposed to guide tourism in provinces, but the premier of Mpumalanga, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, did not even mention a single word on tourism in her State of the Province Address. This confirms that it was not even on her agenda or part of the budget allocation. Another concern for them is that the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has no representation from stakeholders, therefore it lacks the necessary knowledge and skills to drive and develop tourism.

The KLCBT has on numerous occasions tried to schedule a meeting with government, to formulate an action plan and discuss critical process support, which includes marketing, development, branding and skills development, but according to Pilane, they were not successful.

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Director of KLCBT, Lisa Sheard echoed the sentiment and said knowledgeable and experienced leadership on provincial government level is necessary to clean up tourism.
According to Linda Grimbeeck the CEO of KLCBT, government is throwing away the proverbial fruits of the tree, by not investing into tourism. “We are planning and strategising wonderful developments within the sector, but government does not engage with us to address our concerns. We believe the public attractions must be privatised.”

Grimbeek said the decline in visitors is a major concern. “Local South Africans who sell tourist packages to foreigners, are your greatest ambassadors for the promotion of your province.”
David Frost, board member of the Southern African Tourism Services Association (Satsa) will attend today’s meeting today to gain first-hand knowledge of the situation.

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“Frost comes with a huge amount of knowledge. He will be able to hear our frustrations and address our concerns, as he has close ties with Minister Kubayi-Ngubane. I made submissions to Satsa and as a consequence, the minister will visit the province to engage with us,” Pilane said.

Lowvelder requested comment from various governmental institutions and received a joint response by MTPA and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT).
They alleged that the tourism sector is one of the priority areas of the provincial government. The MTPA continues to ensure that it markets Mpumalanga as a tourism destination through various trade shows, participation in key provincial events and through support provided to small businesses, to ensure it grows and creates more job opportunities.

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It further states that Mpumalanga is fourth in provincial rankings and has achieved a 27 per cent growth in the domestic market when compared to 2017.

The MTPA claims that it continues to perform infrastructure upgrades and successfully conducted improvements at Blyde River Canyon, Manyeleti, Loskop Dam, Mkhombo Dam, Mdala, Verloren Vallei and Ohrigstad Dam Nature Reserves, to accommodate tourist facilities.

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Further, the province has prioritised tourism routes and a forum has been created that observes the state of those routes.The departments are also currently working in coordination with the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison to ensure tourist’s safety and the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport on maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.

The DEDT asserts that it has prioritised the revival and establishment of a Provincial Tourism Sector Forum to ensure the prioritisation of certain areas that will advance tourism.
The MTPA allegedly defines itself as an associate member of Satsa and continues to attend conferences when invited on time. It emphasised that a partnership can only be measured in terms of the implementation of measures to improve the industry and not in the number of meetings they attend.