Question NW1830 to the Minister of Tourism
22 October 2021 - NW1830
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Tourism
(1)Whether the sporadic protests and looting that erupted in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, have affected the said upward trajectory of the recovery of the industry that the former Minister, Ms M T Kubayi-Ngubane reported during the debate on Budget Vote 38 in May 2021; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full relevant details; (2) what are the (a) programmes and (b) efforts that her department has put in place to mitigate the blow?
Reply:
1. The riots/looting and protests were broadcasted across the globe. While no study was conducted on the impact, publicity of such negative events would have impact on the brand and the sector recovery efforts. It will require more effort to reposition destination South Africa and to restore consumer and trade confidence. Disruption of tourist activities and forward bookings cancellations were the most immediate impact while the brand impact will also be felt in the medium to long term.
2. (a) and (b) The main focus is the implementation of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan. On the global front, SA Tourism will be embarking on the Global Advocacy Project in collaboration with Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) which is focused on addressing travel trade and consumer confidence building measures. In reigniting the domestic tourism and stimulating demand, Travel Week trade campaign was launched end of August 2021. The campaign is aimed at driving the trade to load their discounted deals on the Sho’t Left platform. This was followed by the consumer campaign. Furthermore, SA Tourism will be launching the Global Brand Campaign. The campaign is aimed at reigniting the regional and global demand and will be launched in September 2021.