Executive Summary

Tourism’s potential to contribute to economic growth, job creation and foreign exchange earnings is enormous.

To remain one of the world’s fastest-growing tourist destinations, South Africa must be competitive and safe, ensure that seats are available on aeroplanes and properly co-ordinate governmental support.

There are many other countries with appealing attractions competing for tourism dollars, so there is no room for complacency.

To grow the tourism market the Democratic Alliance will:

•    Ensure close co-operation in promoting tourism between the state and the private sector
•    Encourage greater involvement by private entrepreneurs
•    Encourage innovative product development
•    Make service excellence a key objective
•    Diversify the product attractions
•    Increase funding to promote South African tourism
•    Promote South Africa as a unique brand
•    Liberalise airline services to and from South Africa
•    Minimise red tape in the issuing of visas
•    Improve public transport
•    Facilitate the provision of training.

Few, if any, other business sectors have the potential to impact so rapidly and significantly on the economy as tourism – and growth in this sector is particularly important because, amongst other things, it allows people without special skills to earn a living.

The DA will ensure that tourism gets the priority attention that it deserves.