Question NW1553 to the Minister of Tourism

Reply:

(a) & (b) (i) – (iii) Finalisation of the Tourism Recovery Plan.

The Tourism Sector Recovery Plan was approved by Cabinet on 21 April 2021 and is a three-year recovery plan for the tourism sector ending in March 2024.

(c) How was the plan drawn up.

The Tourism Sector Recovery Plan was drafted in consultation with the entire tourism sector including private and public sector.

(d) Who was consulted.

Every South African was provided an opportunity to provide inputs into the Plan noting that the Plan was published for Public Comment in August 2020. This was in addition to focused and targeted meetings and webinars with both public and private stakeholders within the tourism sector value chain.

(e) What data was (i) obtained and (ii) used.

To properly baseline the pandemic’s impact a modified dynamic input-output table was used to model the effect of exogenous changes in tourism spending on final demand, This analysis approximated COVID-19 impact on tourism at a subsector level and enabled estimation of income and employment levels based on proposed interventions and stimuli. The model used existing data sources, amongst others, the Tourism Satellite Account and the Domestic and International Tourism Surveys. The model also drawed on survey data gathered during the development of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan.

(f) What are the budget allocations for each line item.

Noting the fiscal contrains within Government and mitigating against the risk of not receiving any additional funding for the implementation of the Plan the Annual Performance Plans, for both the Department of Tourism and South African Tourism, focus on the implimentation of the priorities identified in the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan.