Question NW741 to the Minister of Tourism
05 April 2024 - NW741
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Tourism
Considering the importance of business and medical tourism, what plans does her department have in place to enhance infrastructure and services catering for these segments of the market, thus ensuring the Republic remains competitive as a destination for various purposes?
Reply:
I have been informed by the Department that the approach to Medical Tourism is that practitioners who want to participate in this niche are free to do so. However, government does not actively promote or market South Africa as a destination for this purpose. This is based on the levels of potential risks of litigation associated with the field.
As far as the infrastructure for medical tourism concerned, that is the responsibility of the practitioners in the sector.
I have, further, been informed by South African Tourism (SA Tourism) that the medical sector is a key priority for the South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB) to bid for international and regional conferences. The SANCB works closely with associations, federations and societies in the Medical sector to bid for international and regional meetings to be hosted in South Africa.
The role of the South Africa National Convention Bureau (SANCB) is to create demand for international and regional conferences to be hosted in South Africa and to bid to host these conferences in South Africa. SANCB works with the private sector, like convention centres, to bid for these conferences.
In terms of infrastructure for business tourism purposes some of the community-based projects that the department is involved with, and where feasible has an element of business tourism infrastructure in the form of event and/or conference venues.