Chairperson, hon members, greetings. The Southern African Tourism Services Association held a successful annual conference in Stellenbosch in August. The Southern African Tourism Services Association, Satsa, is a crucial industry organising over 900 company members that offer inbound tourism services. The Southern African Tourism Services Association and all its members are doing sterling work to provide tourists with service excellence, thus promoting South Africa as a destination of choice.
As a tourism distribution channel, businesses in the inbound tourism sector generate large revenue and profit. With the tourism industry on the growth trajectory in South Africa, this sector provides opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises, SMME, development and job creation. These opportunities range from tour guides in the local community to multinational businesses for inbound tourism.
It is therefore clear that in the tourism industry emerging businesses should be assisted to penetrate this lucrative industry and develop capacity to operate at a local, regional and international level. If this is done successfully, the sector can generate more jobs and make a huge contribution towards the 11 million jobs envisaged in the National Development Plan, NDP. This sector has the huge potential to drive transformation and it is incumbent upon the Department of Tourism to develop programmes aimed at assisting SMMEs to advance transformation.
This may include a tour operator incubator programme targeting emerging enterprises and historically disadvantaged communities. This can provide them with the necessary tools to become competitive and sustainable.
The Department of Tourism should also engage and collaborate with the private sector to develop internship programmes that will target placement and proper skills transfer. It is, however, acknowledged that inbound tour operating businesses are heavily affected by international trends and migration policies. This, therefore, makes it imperative that the Department of Tourism conducts impact studies with regard to the latest developments pertaining to the new immigration regulations.
South African tourism and Brand SA should also work towards packaging messages that will distinguish South Africa from the rest of the world. Hon members, I put this report from the Portfolio Committee of Tourism for the House to adopt. Thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.