Biodiversity at SA’s national parks critical to boosting tourism

As South Africa opened its arms to welcome tourists from around the world, SA National Parks (SANParks) acting chief executive Dumisani Dlamini said yesterday their operations have less impact on the environment.

Speaking after the SANParks Tourism Investment Summit, Dlamini said in their options, they made sure to offer different settlements to accommodate the various tastes of their customers.

“Every time we build tourism products, such as hotels or any other activity, they undergo an environmental impact assessment which has to be approved by the department,” he said.

“When people plan their trips, our call centres inform people what is available at their destination and the type of infrastructure around their areas, so people can be directed according to their area of interests.”

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Despite the reality that domestic tourism was likely to be affected by a weaker SA economy as consumers struggled to make ends meet, Dlamini said it was important to appreciate what SA had to offer as it was one of few countries with a rich diversity.

He said many African and international countries would like SA to assist in reintroducing some animal species in their countries.

“We all have the responsibility to look after biodiversity to the extent that future generations can take pride in what we have done,” he said. “We are very fortunate that a person is willing to sit on a plane for 18 hours to experience what can be offered in this country.”

SANParks has a public private partnerships portfolio of 60 projects since the adoption of its commercialisation strategy in 2000. The portfolio encompasses a diversity of tourism offerings, ranging from adventure activities, retail and restaurants to accommodation.

Cumulatively these projects have contributed more than R1.394 billion to SANParks in the past two decades, with increasing infrastructure assets to the value of R955 million.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy in her keynote address at the summit said the relationship with communities in protected areas in SA had its share of complexities. She said the very existence of national parks was an outcome of land dispossession and it presented intricacies to the community relations and specific obligations to these communities.

“That being said, these are complexities that we, as SANParks, are committed to resolving by ensuring that in both our conservation and commercial activities, our efforts are channelled toward achieving inclusive growth,” she said.

Creecy noted that in 2020, SA saw a decline of 72.6% in the volume of tourists, while SANParks’ own decline in tourist numbers was a mirror reflection of the declines at the national level.

“The damage to the sector is by no means irrevocable,” she said. “The SA Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan indicates that labour-intensive sectors, such as the tourism industry, are key growth focal points and, as such, government in general and, in particular, [Tourism] Minister [Lindiwe] Sisulu, is investing significant effort to ensure the post-pandemic recovery.”

Creecy said the tourism industry was not only a major job creator when it thrived, it was also an industry that has one of the highest multiplier effects, contributing both directly and indirectly to several other primary and secondary sectors in its value chain.

“The centrality of the sector in catalysing job creation has to be more prominent now than ever. As we speak, it is against the backdrop of Statistics SA’s latest report that the official unemployment rate stood at 35.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021.”

KhumaloCo chief executive Andile Khumalo said tourism was an export product and the ability to create inclusive economic opportunities was important. Communities around the parks needed to be engaged.

“People take part in things they should not because they are excluded and disengaged in the community. A larger base needs to be created,” he said.