Travellers encouraged to explore Limpopo and boost local tourism

LIMPOPO – Tourism MEC Thabo Mokone launched the 2022 Provincial Tourism Month at Kalahari Waterfront at Nandoni Dam in the Vhembe district under the theme, ‘Rethinking Tourism’.

The launch was the first since Covid-19 regulations were lifted.

In his speech, Mokone said he is thankful that the tourism sector has returned to normal, but that he is not oblivious to the enormous effect the pandemic had on the industry.

“Our economy is gradually recovering, and we are confident that tourism will come back with a big bang to transform people’s lives for the better. The central objective is to drive domestic tourism by raising awareness and in the process encourage residents to travel and explore various tourism experiences in the province. This month, we should all be encouraged to travel our immaculate province and give our local tourism a boost in the process.”

The theme for World Tourism Day 2022 as guided by the by United Nations World Tourism Organisation is ‘Rethinking Tourism’, and for the South African context was customised to ‘Rethinking Tourism Success for Sustainable Growth’.

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He told CV that the provincial economy hinges on three sectors, namely agriculture, mining and tourism.

“It is the obligation of Ledet to increase tourism’s contribution to the growth domestic products in line with the objectives as espoused by the National Development Plan. This will contribute positively to address inequality and poverty tormenting our society. Nothing’s More Fun than a Sho’t Left’, is a national domestic tourism campaign that emphasises the fun of domestic leisure getaway. The campaign seeks to encourage South Africans to take short breaks in their respective localities, which is what I urge all of us to do. Ledet has lined up several activities and events for this month as part of the Tourism Month Campaign,” he said.

Limpopo Tourism Agency CEO Sello Maleka said this year’s theme is aimed at inspiring insightful discussions within the tourism industry to rethink the way business is done, its development and identifying sustainable opportunities for future growth.

“Now that the tourism industry is open and functional, it is time for the sector to do the things that we could not have done in the previous two years. It is time to rebuild, rebrand and recover. Working closely with all tourism stakeholders, the province has come up with a comprehensive calendar of events which help popularise the theme and raise awareness on the key subjects and objectives.”