POLOKWANE – Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, and South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, launched Tourism Month with the main aim to boost the country’s economy through tourism.
Hanekom spoke to journalists in the Tsitsikamma outside Port Elizabeth during a media launch ahead of Tourism Month which is celebrated in September.
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“Tourism Month provides us with an opportunity to grow the economy. Our digital transformation, #WeDoTourism, aims to encourage people to experience all our country has to offer. We want everyone to enjoy, taste, feel, see and hear it.
“Through digitalisation we want to transform tourism to contribute to inclusive, sustainable and responsible growth. With this new system, you can now have a booking agency on your phone.
“For the product owner, it completely changes the world of marketing. Technology is the connector, but the ultimate connector is tourism itself.
“Tourism is about people and places, beautiful places with beautiful people who make unforgettable experiences is what tourism is all about.
“It breaks the unnecessary barrier, giving people the chance to meet people through travel and tourism.
“Tourism is a job creator and can be used to advance the country’s economy,” Hanekom said.
He added this year marks the centenary celebration of the late Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu.
“What better place for the focus of this year’s Tourism Month than the Eastern Cape in this fantastic year. During the Rivonia trial, half of the Rivonia trialists came from the Eastern Cape.
“The province has offered our country so much, especially the freedom of our country, which is why we want to place the Eastern Cape on the map as an incredible tourism offer,” he said.
“We have about 23 million trips of domestic tourism annually, with Limpopo being the province with the highest number of domestic tourist visits.
“We are driving domestic tourism growth and it is our main focus. Essentially what we are doing, is to make sure domestic tourism is accessible and affordable, therefore making sure we avail all we have to offer across all borders,” Ntshona said.
