Hon Chairperson, South African tourism is a critical component in the development of our economy, because it is a gateway that can allow foreign spending and investment into the country. With a 10,3% contribution to the total employment in South Africa in 2012, it is clear that marketing our country well can result in the issue of poverty and unemployment being dealt a serious blow.

Our most valuable tourists, however, should always be our own people. This will not only develop a sense of pride in seeing the beauty of our country, but also allow local businesses to flourish without being dependent on international travel trends. Globally, people are cutting down on tourist travel because they cannot afford to travel too much due to the state of the world's economy and the rise in fuel prices. Therefore our most important tourists should be our own people.

The Department of Tourism must be commended on its drive to promote South Africa internationally, with events such as the Tourism Indaba 2013 - the largest tourism marketing event in Africa - which was held in Durban and ends today. This is a great example of how government can work well with local and international stakeholders to promote our country as an ideal tourist destination.

Despite the problems that we are experiencing with poachers attacking our rhinos and, to some extent, our elephants, it is important to note that our laws are beginning to take these issues in a serious light. An example is the sentencing of a Thai national to 40 years imprisonment for his involvement in rhino poaching; yet more needs to be done. If we allow incidents of poaching to get out of control, we risk losing one of our valuable Big Five animals which have always been a trademark message to the world.

Ensuring the safety of tourists is also a crucial element that the department must not ignore as there are reports of tourists being attacked on landmarks such as Table Mountain. Any and all safety precautions must be in place to ensure that tourists have a safe and enjoyable experience when visiting our country.

Despite these incidents of poaching and negative media reports broadcast throughout the world, international tourist markets are opening themselves up to our country, especially in Asia. The department should always be on the lookout for other viable markets that South Africa can be promoted in. A great example is the success of the What's Your Big Five? campaign which was broadcast in the United States, a core tourist market for South Africa.

The Internet is proving to be a crucial element in promoting our country, with 90% of holiday travel decisions being made online. In order to compete with the many destinations around the world, the department needs to take relevant steps to ensure that it partners with the local and international stakeholders in order to have an excellent online presence.

Bloggers are some of the most underestimated writers online. And it is great to see that the department has joined forces with local tourism vendors to create the Meet South Africa campaign using Twitter. Fifteen international travel bloggers came and travelled across our country, exploring its beauty and posting their experiences online. This exercise has garnered a lot of attention for South Africa internationally and has culminated at the Tourism Indaba in Durban.

Even though these bloggers have left our shores, the idea should be promoted amongst our people, which will be a great way for South Africans to promote their own provinces internationally. It will need a collective involvement and all to play their part in helping to boost the economic development of our country and to make South Africa the best tourist destination there is, despite reports of crime and instability that are splashed across media platforms internationally.

In conclusion ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]