TBCSA Leadership Conference | Tourism matters

RUSTENBURG - For the past three years, the tourism industry has been meeting in the North West province every September, to reflect and deliberate on the state of the industry, as it moves towards the goal of attracting 15.6 million annual travellers to South Africa by 2030. Since 2022, private and public partners in the tourism ecosystem have been gathering in Sun City for two days during Tourism Month to take stock of gains, and set industry goals for the short, medium and long term. Under the stewardship of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), industry players gathered again in Sun City from 18-20 September 2024, this time under the theme Tourism Matters.   

As it has become the norm, this year’s Leadership Conference was also an open forum for discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. Key industry players and policymakers gathered under one roof to deliberate on how to make tourism matter, while also reflecting on tourism matters. One of the primary objectives of this year’s TBCSA Leadership Conference was to boost the appeal of Destination South Africa to old and new travellers alike. Making South Africa, the destination of choice remains a priority, hence the international marketing campaign starring South African comedian and celebrity Trevor Noah. The advert, which highlights the country’s diverse tourism offerings through the voice of one of its favourite sons, has reached at least 281 million people in nine markets worldwide since it was first flighted in November 2023.   

Numbers do not lie 

The transformation of the tourism industry, whether through the support of small businesses and local communities or through inclusive policies, continues to feature on the agenda of the TBCSA Leadership Conference. As an industry that seeks to grow substantially over the long term, it is always important to be fully cognisant of the socio-economic conditions of modern day South Africa.    

Former Statistician General Dr Pali Lehohla was an important voice at the Leadership Conference this year who offered a sobering overall picture of the growing inequalities in our society. Using data that captures the country’s economic activities and social realities, Dr Lehohla revealed what some deem to be the real state of our nation - and as they say, the numbers do not lie. With this knowledge, the tourism industry is invited to lead from the front in taking up the plight of local communities through economic and infrastructural development, sustainability, energy generation and education among others.    

Stronger working relations between the private and public sectors are the backbone of the tourism industry. With a largely new political administration, under the Government of National Unity (GNU),  the tourism sector remains steadfast in its commitment of being part of the solutions in ensuring that South Africa achieves inclusive growth that also creates sustainable economic opportunities. As the country looks to the new government to solve the country’s critical issues, the tourism industry remains a reliable partner that recognises the benefit of being part of the solution to those challenges.    

Solidifying the tourism value chain   

Building the South African tourism sector is a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors, as well as other partners in the value chain. As the TBCSA, our role is to be the conduit between business and the public sector. Our mandate requires us to lobby and engage the public sector in shaping policy and being solutions driven. Thus this year, there have been some pleasing developments on the policy front and from our public sector partners. Although there is more work to be done, it is important to acknowledge the great strides made.   

Since the last Leadership Conference, the department of transport has committed to activating an online application system.  The automated system, which is set to come into effect before the end of the year, will ease delays and other impediments to the issuing and renewal of tourism vehicle operating licences.  As an industry and important stakeholders, we continue to support and offer assistance to the National Public Transport Regulator, which adjudicates the applications for tourist transport operating licences and the accreditation of tour operators. This an important institution which needs to work effectively for the sector. 

The Department of Home Affairs has set ambitious targets to address various issues such as developing legislative frameworks for foreign remote workers, the Trusted Employers Scheme and group visa applications for tourists from China and India among others. The department has set a goal of clearing all backlogs by Christmas. The easing of red tape in the issuing of visas will boost arrivals and improve the ease of travel for our visitors from the continent and overseas. These important actions were part of the 2023 Leadership Conference - and this year the conversation has moved on to action - ensuring that our industry gathering is not just a talk shop. 

The Department of Tourism remains a critical pillar in ensuring that the industry has the right policies and budget to drive and deliver the objectives of the Tourism Master Plan that should lead us for the next 10 years and beyond. This blue print is largely driven by the Tourism whitepaper which will provide the policy direction. At the conference, the leaders shared an ambition for the tourism sector for the next 15 years focusing on technology, inclusivity, investments, and more.  

Unlocking new economic opportunities 

Issues of improving existing public infrastructure to enable better access for visitors to the country, enhanced service delivery and sustainable tourism that considers the environment, increasing aviation capacity, safety and security, and creating an industry that develops communities while it grows continue to dominate discussions at the Leadership Conference. As the TBCSA, we remain committed to investing in tourism marketing, and strengthening our private-public partnerships, especially in key growth markets. The action plan for the next 12 months will soon be set in motion. In addition, some issues will keep coming up until there is a resolution or a way forward.  

As the industry finds new frontiers to unlock potential, sports and events tourism have become a critical space for opportunity. The potential to use sports, arts, culture and global events to amplify Destination South Africa remains largely untapped. So in the near future, as an industry we will have to re-imagine South Africa’s position on the global space. 

• By Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa