Question NW1286 to the Minister of Tourism

Reply:

The department has a Tourism Adaptation Project (TAP). The project seeks to build the resilience and adaptive capacity of the tourism sector to the impacts of climate change. In 2012, the department partnered with the then Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to conduct a Baseline Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on Tourism. A Basic Vulnerability Guideline was developed to assist tourism attractions to assess their vulnerability to climate change.

2019/20 - The Department of Tourism, in partnership with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and GIZ, commissioned a detailed climate change risk and vulnerability assessment of the tourism sector. As part of the project, 27 tourism sites were assessed across the country. Furthermore, a three-year implementation plan was developed as part of the project. One of the priorities in the implementation plan is education and training.

2020/21 - To give effect to this priority on climate change education and training, the department, in partnership with the DFFE and GIZ, identified the need for the development of a Climate Change Communication Strategy for the tourism sector. This resulted in the development of the South African Tourism Climate Change Communication Strategy (SATCCCS) in 2021/22 financial year.

An additional five climate change risk and vulnerability assessments were also conducted during 2021/22 in major tourism attraction sites including the following:

• Table Mountain National Park;
• Robben Island
• Kruger National Park
• iSimangaliso Wetland Park; and
• uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park.

The Tourism Adaptation Implementation Plan was also updated in 2021/22 financial year.