Tourism Buddies to open doors for the youth
THE department of tourism had their Tourism Buddies launch at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on June 16 as part of their Youth Month programme.
Maseo Nethanani
POLOKWANE – THE department of tourism had their Tourism Buddies launch at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on June 16 as part of their Youth Month programme.
Deputy minister for tourism, Thokozile Xasa, explained that the Tourism Buddies formed part of the department’s effort to educate young people in the province about career options available in the tourism industry of South Africa.
Tourism forms a very big part of the South African economy and gives South Africans the chance to showcase their diverse heritage and natural treasures.
Unfortunately, a lot of the country’s young people do not pursue a career in the tourism industry as it requires them to spend 70% of their time employed with various establishments while studying.
R25 million has been spent towards helping people pursue a career in the tourism industry and so far, 3 434 students have participated in this programme.
“Out of the nine provinces in South Africa, only three of them have a steady tourism industry, the other six are still in dire need of marketing to tourists visiting the country.
“We plan on making the entire South Africa a tourism magnet by educating and training young people in the tourism industry,” Xasa said.
“We are currently working with the provincial governments and municipalities to identify people in their sectors who might be interested in a career in the tourism industry.
“We require people that are compassionate, people with big hearts, as this is a humane industry; it requires a lot of dedication and devotion from the people committing themselves to the industry, we are representing the image of South Africa to the world.”
“We, the people of South Africa, have journeyed far since the long lines of our first democratic election on April 27, 1994, when we elected a government for us all.
“We began to tell a new story then. We have created a home where everybody feels free, where everyone embraces their full potential.
“We are proud to be a community that cares, and this is the image we want to show the world,” said the MEC for economic development, environment and tourism, Seaparo Sekoati.
