Holidays boost economy

Taking a holiday, or just spending some time out, in your own country is a good idea – it’ll recharge your batteries, and it will help drive the economy.
THE value of tourism to the economy was highlighted in September, alongside its social, cultural and political worth.

Tourism Minister Marthinus van SchalkwykTourism Minister Marthinus van SchalkwykOfficially spring in South Africa, September is a fine time to mark the annual Tourism Month, which focuses on the endless possibilities for fun in the country.

In Johannesburg, locals were told that there was no such thing as a wrong turn, and that they should embark on a Sho’t Left around Mzansi and get acquainted with its tourist attractions while discovering more about the country.

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said Tourism Month was designed to promote a culture of domestic travel. Tourism enhanced intercultural dialogue and ensured that local communities could fully participate in and benefit from the development opportunities in the sector.

According to the United Nations, tourism has experienced sustainable growth and deeper diversification and is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. ‎Modern tourism played a major role in ‎international commerce and was a key driver of socio-‎economic progress, it said.‎

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said tourism helped to break cultural barriers: “As we travel, let us engage with other cultures and celebrate human diversity. Let us recognise tourism as a force for a more tolerant, open and united world.”

The United Nations World Tourism Organization said about 940 million tourists travelled to a different country last year, coming into direct contact with tangibles like art and monuments and intangibles like music, tradition and culture.

In his message for World Tourism Day on Tuesday, 27 September, he said tourism contributed to global solidarity and generated socio-economic opportunities.

More South Africans are touring their countryMore South Africans are touring their countrySouth African Tourism spent about R30-million on this year’s Sho’t Left campaign, which highlights the diversity of experiences available to domestic travellers in all provinces. It believes that cultural tourism will help entrench local tourism and raise its contribution to the overall tourism economy.

The national tourism utility envisions an increase in the number of domestic trips from 30,9 million in 2009 to 54 million by 2020, which will have a knock on effect on the contribution of tourism to the country’s gross domestic product. In the 2009-2010 year, this came in at 7,9 percent, with the average spend per tourist in South Africa at R9 900.

Tourism is one of the six priority economic growth sectors identified by the government to create about 177 000 direct and indirect employment opportunities by 2020 and another 48 000 directly linked to government programmes, totalling 225 000 jobs.

People are encouraged to visit and spend the night in rural areas, which will build the number of rural tourism products that attract customers and earn revenue.

The Department of Tourism aims to attract R35-billion of government investment in tourism infrastructure and a further R1-billion in foreign direct investment.