Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
The official launch of the business initiative on Tuesday evening aimed at enhancing job creation and human capacity building is warmly welcomed by the Minister of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, Minister Pallo Jordan.
The Minister is particularly encouraged that the growth potential of the tourism sector has been recognised. Government has long felt that tourism provides unrivalled opportunities for economic growth at both macro and micro levels. Moreover it holds enormous capacity for high quality job creation.
In anticipation of a much needed injection of funds into the areas of marketing, skills development and entrepreneurship, the tourism sector is about to engage in two major initiatives aimed at creating focussed alignment that will ensure that we move beyond the natural growth rate.
The first is a comprehensive international marketing analysis. This will enable the sector to identify and focus on competitive segments, thus ensuring that scarce resources are invested in a targeted manner. The second initiative involves a collaborative strategy process. Closely linked to and informed by the market analysis, this process will align resources, activities and actors behind targeted segments. It will in addition produce action steps aimed at closing gaps to competitiveness. The process will also integrate ways to tap the often marginalised and undervalued potential of domestic tourism as well as exploring innovative and sustainable ways to transform the nature of tourism to be more reflective of the country both in terms of segments and players.
These initiatives, (inclusive of all role players, will provide a comprehensive strategy that will elevate South Africa as a tourist destination to world class levels.
Z PALLO JORDAN MINISTER