Chairperson, hon members, firstly, I would like to congratulate the hon Minister and Deputy Minister on their appointments to steer the new department of tourism. The Congress of the People also congratulates the department for once again receiving an unqualified audit report and for the high level of budgeted spending in the past financial year.
The tourism programme, which in previous years received the second largest slice of the department's budget, has now been identified by the new government as a tool with a potential for further job creation and poverty eradication. In spite of the global financial crisis and a general decline in the economy, tourism continued to show positive growth, as illustrated by an increase in the number of foreign arrivals in the country and an increase in their spending. However, the challenge remains with regard to increasing the length of their stay, and where they stay.
Indeed, the bigger challenge for the new department will be to succeed in making tourism the engine for job creation and prosperity in South Africa as envisaged in the strategic plan. This can only be achieved if tourism is made the concern, not only of the national, but also of the provincial as well as the local government spheres. I am happy the Deputy Minister has alluded to the involvement of the local government in the tourism industry. Both the public and the private tourism infrastructure must also be developed and improved.
Cope believes that building a growing, dynamic and a competitive economy is consistent with the creation of conditions for social and economic inclusiveness. We believe that there is an urgent need to overcome inequalities in our society, to ensure economic progress and to achieve national unity. Cope sees South Africa's economic priorities as the eradication of poverty and all its offshoots - creation of jobs, levelling of inequality and the building of a diversified economy. The fact that the South African tourism industry has overtaken gold mining as a leading earner of foreign exchange challenges the new department to intensify efforts to create even better conditions for sustainable tourism, growth and development.
The level of preparedness by the department for both the Confederations Cup and the 2010 Soccer World Cup is to be commended. We hope that all targets set in the 2010 tourism plan, which includes training programmes ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]