BuaNews (Tshwane)
Michael Appel
29 October 2007
Johannesburg — Expanding and optimally utilising air travel routes has been identified as vital to the expansion of the already buoyant tourism industry in South Africa.
"Key to the growth and expansion of tourism in South Africa is the aviation sector," said Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk in his address at the 6th Annual National Tourism Conference, Monday.
He said the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism have identified nine essential international markets which are Australia, France, Germany, Kenya, the Netherlands, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. Tourists from these countries make up 55 percent of the tourism market in South Africa said Mr van Schalkwyk, adding that this 55 percent account for 61 percent of foreign capital spent in the country.
The identified markets collectively hold a potential 76 million tourists for South Africa and could significantly boost the 8.3 million tourists who visited the country in 2006, he said.
These figures are the rationale behind the need to partner with aviation stakeholders in the drive to increase tourism's contribution to economic growth and development. The minister said that despite great strides having been made in the aviation industry that more needed to be done to increase competitiveness. "A flight from London to Sydney, which is a 23 hour flight, is 40 percent cheaper than a flight from London to Johannesburg, which is an 11 hour flight," the minister said. He said South African tourism and aviation stakeholders needed to enhance the way they package and present the country.
In 2006, the tourism industry created 940 000 jobs, registering a 9.6 percent increase in 2005. Emphasising the importance and impact tourism has on the economy, tourism's contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has gone from 4.6 percent in 1993, to 8.3 percent in 2006.
"We're aiming for 12 percent [contribution to GDP] by 2014," he said. The minister explained that the industry works by the simple rule of for every 12 tourists that visit South Africa, one sustainable job is created. "Our goal is to bring the number of tourists needed to create one sustainable job down to eight by getting tourists to spend more when in the country," he explained.
In 2006, there was an increase of just over one million in foreign tourists arrivals to South Africa compared to the same period in 2005. It was the notably the first time that arrivals increased by more than a million in a year.
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