THE deadline for public comment on the National Tourism Sector Strategy has come and gone, and the next step, says the National Department of Tourism (NDT) is for all the comments to be consolidated and analysed in August.

According to the NDT, inputs from stakeholders will be integrated into a draft strategy, which will then be submitted to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk in October.

Another round of provincial consultations will be launched in November and once all provinces have bought in, the document will be referred back to the minister who will take it to Cabinet for approval within this financial year (2010/2011).

The entire development and approval process by Cabinet is envisaged in 2010/2011 although implementation will only begin in 2011/2012, confirms the NDT’s Paki Mathebula.

A Tourism Leadership Dialogue session was hold recently with tourism sector representatives to brainstorm the NTSS. The following is an outline provided by the Tourism Leadership Dialogue team regarding discussions at the event:

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