MBOMBELA – Tourism plays a vital role and if everything goes according to plan, it can be able to largely contribute to the province’s economy.
Tabling his budget speech on Tuesday, MEC for the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr Eric Kholwane, highlighted a number of strategies his department will adopt to improve the sector in Mpumalanga.
He committed to continue leveraging tourism as a platform to enhance regional integration.
Emphasising a critical policy pronounced by premier Mr David Mabuza during his State of the Nation Address earlier this year, which spoke of collaboration with industry players and the community at large, Kholwane said the province had begun engaging the industry in developing a shared plan that will drive growth in the tourism sector.
“Through partnership with the tourism industry and communities, we should enhance and diversify our tourism product offering to ensure that Mpumalanga becomes a destination of choice for domestic and international tourists,” Kholwane stated.
He promised that during this financial year his department would review the provincial tourism-growth strategy to ensure that it responded to a number of weaknesses and transformation challenges constraining the growth of tourism.
“Through the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency we are exploring investment models that will attract privatesector participation in the delivery of strategic tourism-infrastructure projects such as the sky walk and the cable car in Blyde River Canyon,” he said adding that in the next three months, the department would appoint transaction advisers to package specific recommendations on the structure of the proposed investment transactions.
Kholwane also mentioned that a resolution to resuscitate the Triland brand Memorandum of Understanding has been made in collaboration with Swaziland and Mozambique.
Another strategy to improve tourism in the province will involve the rejuvenation of tourism towns which include the Pilgrim’s Rest, Waterval Boven and Machadodorp cluster.
“We are working with tourism-industry players and all other key stakeholders to find a long-term sustainability plan and lasting solution for Pilgrim’s Rest.
There is no doubt that this asset has a great value for tourism in the province,” he added.
A total budget of R743 31 000 was allocated for the whole department which includes R334 735 000 set aside for the tourism industry
