Provinces should complement one another and collaborate on tourism issues. This was the message of Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom during the launch of Tourism Month at Mookgophong on Sunday.
Hanekom said: “One of the reasons provinces can complement one another is that international and domestic tourism are intertwined. The business tourist arriving in Cape Town and taking the cable car up Table Mountain must be persuaded to spend a day or two more in our country, enthralled at the prospect of visiting the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site; the sport tourist arriving at OR Tambo International Airport planning to watch the rugby must be bombarded with information about the Oppikoppi and the Marula festivals; the beach goer arriving at King Shaka International Airport must find the prospect of buying acclaimed works of visual artists, textile weavers, beaders, potters and wood carvers from the far north of our country irresistible. And so the tourist in Durban creates opportunity for women in Thohoyandou”, Hanekom said.
He further said during September, which is Tourism Month, there will be focus on domestic tourism in particular, using the period as an opportunity to encourage all South Africans to get out and explore this unique, beautiful and diverse country.
“We have launched a new Domestic Tourism Marketing Campaign titled “A Million New Experiences Are A Sho’t Left Away”, which will be the theme for this year’s Tourism Month as well. The new domestic campaign, informed by consumers’ insight research conducted by South African Tourism, encourages South Africans to take a leisure break away from home and start travelling their own country.
“The campaign premise is about the joy of discovering new experiences to be discovered, whether one is new or a seasoned traveller,” Hanekom said.
Story: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za
