Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has called on South Africans to travel domestically to get a better understanding of the affordable, exciting and world class attractions that are available on our doorstep, saying that Tourism Month, which is celebrated throughout the month of September, also serves as an opportunity to promote domestic tourism and create a culture of travel amongst South Africans.
Source: SA Tourism
Speaking at the launch of Tourism Month, which took place in the Western Cape at !Khwa ttu, Sisulu said that the country celebrates Tourism Month to highlight and bring to the fore the importance of the tourism sector, its contribution to the South African economy and the potential it has to transform the trajectory of the country.
“Tourism Month is in line with our country’s vision to ignite inclusive economic growth, sustainable job creation, and transformation, which are all critical for our industry and we need to aim to continue with our collective efforts in driving this.”
Sisulu explained that Tourism Month also aims to generate awareness of the contribution that the tourism industry makes to provincial and national economic growth and job creation.
Tourism sector recovery
The Department of Tourism recently put out the Draft Framework for Community Participation in Tourism (FCPT) for public comments and is in the process of finalising it.
“The FCPT in line with the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, emphasises the importance of developing and reinforcing domestic, regional, and local tourism that is inclusive and prioritises community well-being. The objective is to ensure that tourism provides maximum benefit to communities where tourism serves as a catalyst.
“The goal of this FCPT is to guide the department, provincial tourism departments, and other key tourism stakeholders in their efforts to encourage community participation in the tourism sector and, as a result, to