Ramping up our international tourist arrivals is the key to unlock our country's economic potential, and to
expand opportunities to many more of our citizens. Hence, it is very disappointing that our 2018-19 international arrivals have dropped by 0,6 % compared to 2017-18, included in this figure is a decline of 5,7 % from Europe, where a strong Euro can buy you an exotic dream holiday in our country, at attractive currency rates, and a close to 1 % drop in our market of great potential, Asia.
South Africa Tourism mentions five factors that have impacted negatively on our ability to attract international arrivals. With determined political will, all but one can be fixed. They are: Water shortages, but we have decisively defeated Day Zero in Cape Town and increased our resiliency to climate change; our overseas advertising can easily turn this into a positive attractor; two our wildlife interaction is seen as inappropriate at best, and shocking at worst, the tourism benefits flowing from wildlife best practice internationally far outweigh the alternative; three there is still room to improve our visa regime; and four negative reporting about expropriation without compensation impacts on international arrivals. We need to
settle concerns sensibly, and market this settlement effectively overseas.
Fears about safety and security is the fifth and toughest issue to address, but it does illustrate the point that tourism is fundamentally impacted by this and other hard realities and challenges in our country like local government, arts and culture and transport. This is why the DA has always argued passionately for an inter-ministerial committee that can jointly tackle the degradation of our most iconic tourism destinations, indispensable in the age of Trip Advisor.
The best example of this lack of inter-departmental co-operation is the Howick Falls. Howick is the only town in South Africa which has a major waterfall in its central business district, CBD. A quarter of a million people used to visit this spot every year. But crime, potholed roads, public drunkenness, littering, drag racing and other x-rated activities have blighted this tourist mecca. To make things worse, the conservancy area leading down the gorge of the falls is degraded by animals being
slaughtered in the sanctuary, fires, the bridge being stolen, and the Heritage stone path destroyed.
Inevitably, business has declined by 40 %, while the number of visitors has declined by a quarter. In desperation, 750 local residents have petitioned council who failed to act at all, blandly saying" there is no money." The South African Police Services, SAPS, in turn, have refused to respond, claiming that illegal activities are a municipal issue. Collectively, every department washes its hands of the problem, as another prime tourist destination falls into disrepair and decay, crushing jobs as it stumbles. We have to do better than this, Minister. I thank you.