South Africa’s visa policy needs to support the fact that one in five of all new jobs created globally comes from travel and tourism, says Department of Tourism Director General, Victor Tharage.
He was speaking during a panel discussion at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Africa Leaders Forum taking place in Stellenbosch today (November 22).
“Numbers don’t lie. They suggest the policy direction that needs to be taken,” he told delegates. WTTC is the body that represents the travel and tourism private sector globally, representing more than 170 CEOs, chairmen and presidents of the world’s leading companies in travel and tourism.
Tharage said South Africa viewed visa waivers and visa automation (e-visas) as the “first prizes” and discussions in this regard were “quite advanced”. He pointed out that Angola had experienced an 84% increase in Chinese arrivals after making its visa processes more efficient. “We need to ensure that we make the correct policy choices that underpin tourism and job creation, while managing any potential risks associated with that policy choice.”
WTTC CEO and President, Gloria Guevara, said there was a lot of potential opportunity for travel and tourism in southern Africa, but a lot more needed to be done about visas and to integrate regional travel.
She said 9.5% of all national jobs in South Africa were supported by the travel and tourism industry, compared with 6.5% of all jobs supported by the industry in Africa. In South Africa, she said, the industry was growing three times the average of the country’s economy. Travel and tourism’s contribution to GDP was 8.9% in South Africa, representing R412.5bn (€26.18bn) and a 2.9% growth in travel and tourism GDP. In Africa, the industry contributed 8.1% to GDP, showing a growth of 6.3% in GDP contribution.
She said for the seventh consecutive year, travel and tourism in 2017 had outpaced global economy growth. Global travel and tourism growth currently stood at 4.6% compared with the 3% of global GDP growth. The global industry contributed 10.4% to the global GDP. Some 313m jobs were supported by the industry, representing one in every 10 jobs.
She said the WTTC considered Africa as “the future China” in terms of its potential for tourism growth, but the industry needed to maximise this potential for growth. She said WTTC was encouraged by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stated support for the industry. “The opportunity is here in Africa and we are really excited about that. Tourism jobs can be created anywhere, they are inclusive, they create jobs for women and the youth.”
Guevara said WTTC deemed the following as strategic priorities: Security and travel facilitation; crisis preparedness, management and recovery; and sustainable growth. WTTC had developed unique solutions for these: biometric technology, the first pilot between the US and UK (including cruise lines, GDS, travel companies, airlines and airports all using biometrics) being piloted at present. WTTC also offered support to destinations in crisis management; and for sustainable growth, it was active in destination stewardship, climate action, social responsibility, child protection and illegal wildlife trade.
