Bojanala January - March 2013 - Department of Tourism

Collectively and Broadly Promoting Responsible and Sustainable Tourism for Benefit of AllEdition 01 - January/February/March 2013Tourist Guiding in the 21 st CenturyStrategic Direction of NDTfor the Coming Financial Year April 2013 -March 2014The Tourism Bill, 2012

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 20132Market Access for Mashovhela Lodge4 Tourist Guiding in the 21 st Century8Strategic Direction of NDT for the Coming FinancialYear April 2013 -March 201411 The Tourism Bill, 201215NDT Successfully Hosts the Local GovernmentTourism ConferenceBack Upcoming Tourism EventsAbout the CoverCollectively and Broadly Promoting Responsible and Sustainable Tourism for Benefit of AllEdition 01 - January/February/March 2013Tourist Guiding in the 21 st CenturyStrategic Direction of NDTfor the Coming Financial Year April 2013 -March 2014The Tourism Bill, 2012The cover shows the beautifulcoastline in Knysna in theGarden Route of the WesternCape Province. Also appearingon the image are the marvellousrock formations along thecoast. Image courtesy of SouthAfrican Tourism.Editor in ChiefJay SinghContributorsVicky MaakeMmapula MakgamathaMmaditonki SetwabaHannelie du ToitUveshnee PillayResearchers/WritersCharles MakuwerereMasingita MakamuLekau HlabolwaVictor SiphuguLayout/ProductionBembani Group (Pty) LtdPage ii

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013Bojanala2013 Greetings to Our Bojanala Readers!The year 2013 is already in full swing, and the first quarter of the year has been extremely busy, with the Department gettingtogether on a Lekgotla on the 22 nd and 23 rd February. During this session the Department interrogated its targets for the 2013-2014performance year and carefully revisited its strategic direction in the coming performance cycle which was tabled for discussionbefore the Tourism Portfolio Committee in Parliament on Wednesday, 13 March 2013. The Lekgotla reinforced the Department’sresponsibility to create the much needed jobs for South Africa, and to that end areas of focus for job creation were identified. TheLekgotla has set a target to create 5173 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs through the Department’s Social Responsibility Initiatives.Projects that demonstrated huge successes in the past years, for example Young Chefs Programme will receive continued support thisyear. Furthermore, we shall continue on our transformation drive during this financial year, and we shall in this regard capacitate ruraland historically disadvantaged enterprises through training on business skills, tourism opportunities and competitiveness.The first quarter of the year also saw us present the long-awaited Tourism Bill to the Tourism Portfolio Committee of Parliament onthe 12 th of February 2013. The Tourism Bill, a well-crafted legislative piece, seeks to transform the tourism landscape of South Africa.The Tourism Bill was drafted upon realising that transformation was vital to ensure the sustainable growth and development of thetourism sector, and that inadequate, uncoordinated and fragmented planning and information provision was the most pervasivechallenge facing development and growth of tourism in the country. We are heartened by the volume of responses that were receivedon the gazetted Tourism Bill from our range of stakeholders. The comments are currently being considered, and will be incorporatedinto the Bill, and we look forward to the enactment of the Bill.We are also coming from a yet another chapter of the Local Government Tourism Conference during the beginning of this year. Theconference was hailed by stakeholders from various tourism spheres as highly successful and attracted no less than 400 tourismparticipants from various local government sectors. Observations of reduced budgets for tourism at local government level havebeen reported during the conference, and municipalities have been encouraged to turn the corner, allocate reasonable budgettowards tourism development, and take advantage of the huge potentials that the tourism sector has towards job creation at localgovernment level.We have also joined the rest of the world in celebrating the achievements of our tourist guides in a two-day national event hostedon the 20 th and the 21 st of February 2013 in Kimberly by the Northern Cape Province. The event was held with the view to amongstother things, showcase tourist guiding in South Africa by making the industry and the general public aware of the tourist guidingprofession; honour and recognize tourist guides that have excelled in their profession; and provide a platform for tourist guides,tourism stakeholders, government departments and tourism authorities involved in tourist guiding to engage and share informationon important developments and challenges in the tourist guiding sector. Indeed, tourist guiding play a pivotal role as a link betweenvisitors and their experiences of South Africa and its many tourism attractions, and the need for celebrating these vital players of theindustry and raising awareness on this section of the tourism sector cannot be over-emphasised.As we move into the second quarter of the year, we look forward to more interesting tourism activities and events, for example theINDABA 2013, and the National Arts Festival, to mention but a few. We are excited about what lies in store for us this year, and weshall continue bringing you our readers all these as they unfold.Jay SinghEDITORPage 1

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013MARKET ACCESS FORMASHOVHELA LODGEMashovhela Lodge is situated on Morning Sun Nature Reserve,a registered National Heritage Site, in the SoutpansbergMountains of the Limpopo Province of South Africa.The lodge, which commenced operations in May 2008 andoffers 10 en-suite chalets, a restaurant and conference centre,was built on the already degraded site of an abandoned Vendasettlement in order to minimise the ecological footprint. Aconscious decision was made not to connect to the public powergrid, opting rather for renewable energy.TEP and SIPPO hosted a marketing workshop with allparticipating products before the Trade Mission. This was a verysuccessful and critically important workshop to ensure that wealign our sales pitch to the European market. Our presentationswhere analysed and input was received on how to make it moreeffective. If our tourism industry wants to reach an internationalmarketing standard, these types of workshops are critical fornew entrants.The call of bush babies, the hooting of Giant Eagle Owls andchirping of cicadas and frogs will break the silence of the nightwhilst you stretch out on our luxurious “king size” or twin beds.From your own private veranda surrounded by “magube” wallsyou can enjoy a cocktail under the African sun, whilst watchingthe Black Eagles returning to their nest.Ingrid Hann, Operations Director, says: “Without the financialsupport from TEP to participate at a number of Indaba’s, ITBBerlin (Mar 2012) and the Switzerland SIPPO Trade Mission (Oct2012), we would not have been able to attend any of theseshows which is vital for the growth of our small tourism business.Page 2

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013BojanalaAdditional Company Information:Company Name : Mashovhela LodgeLocation : Morning Sun Reserve, N1,Makhado, LimpopoHDE Status: Non-HDEContact Person : Ingrid HahnTel/Cell : 012 991 6930 / 082 628 7937Email: Ingrid@mashovhela.comWebsite: www.mashovhela.comTurnover: R48,000 monthly at registration(Apr ‘10), R 138,000 monthly(Dec ’12)Staff: 11 Perm at Apr ‘10, 16 Permand 1 Temp Staff at Dec ‘12What was important is the repeat exposure to the Europeanmarket. At ITB I made my first contact with several German andDutch tour operators, who I again met during the SIPPO TradeWorkshops and the TTW trade show in Zurich.It is evident that these relationships could only be made due tomy personal presence at the European shows and workshops.To sum it up, at ITB I met up with 12 tour-operators, at theSippo workshops I personally met with 12 companies in Zurich,24 companies in Munich and 6 companies in Vienna. This is atotal of 54 potential tour operators with whom I will be buildingrelationships over the next 3 years.TEP Contract Details:Hannelie du ToitManager Market Access and ResearchTel: 011 880 3790Cell: 083 600 3555Email: Hanneliedt@tep.co.zaAs the tourism industry is such a gigantic and competitiveindustry, I cannot imagine how I would have been able to startour business without the support from TEP. We have grownfrom having employed 11 people when we registered with TEPin 2010 to 22 this year (including temporary staff). Thereforeit is evident how important a role any small business plays increating job opportunities for this country.Confidential examples of market access success include:• Hauser Exkursionen.de program to feature MashovhelaLodge (it is sold through their German magazine and is nowone of our current biggest clients)• TUI Nederland now sells the lodge in their green, fair-tradetours to South Africa.• TUI Switzerland included the lodge in their green tourpackages (due to the fact that TUI Nederland is alreadyworking with us)• African Solutions (who work with Egoli Tours in SouthAfrica) has become a major supplier of clients for us• Discussions as underway with KUONI to become part oftheir packages as wellPage 3

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013Tourist Guidingin the 21 st CenturySouth Africa and International Tourist Guides CelebrationsCourtesy of www.flickr.comThe year 1990 marked the first celebrations of the InternationalTourist Guide Day which is held on 21st February each year. The1990 celebrations were held by the World Federation of TouristGuide Associations (WFTGA) at which time only 15 countriesaround the world participated and jointly celebrated this specialday. Awareness about this day has grown over the years, andover 70 nations now celebrate this event worldwide. SouthAfrica also joins the rest of the world in these celebrationsannually. In South Africa this day is celebrated with activitiesand programmes ranging from presentations, motivationaltalks, excursions and workshops. The National Department ofTourism (NDT) co-hosted the national event with the NorthernCape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The2-day event took place in Kimberly, Northern Cape on 20 – 21February 2013.The theme for the conference was “Tourist guiding in the 21stCentury”. The event provided a platform to:Showcase tourist guiding in South Africa by making theindustry and the general public aware of tourist guidingprofession;Honour and recognize tourist guides that have excelled intheir profession; andProvide a platform for tourist guides, tourism stakeholders,government departments and tourism authorities involvedin tourist guiding to engage and share information onimportant developments and challenges in the touristguiding sector.Indeed, a wealth of information was shared by variousstakeholders in the tourism industry. To that end, the TourismEnterprise Partnership (TEP) – a non profit tourism enterprisedevelopment company that provides hands-on, step-by-stepsupport and guidance and ultimately improves the tourismbusiness’ product quality, operational efficiency and marketreach – made a presentation during the ceremony highlightingthe areas of focus of their organisation, that would in turnprovide invaluable assistance to the up-and coming touristguiding enterprise. The TEP, amongst others provide suchassistance as business support, skills development and marketaccess guidance to their participants. In their presentation,some pointers were also provided on funding opportunities forthe tourist guide business.Furthermore, information was shared by tourism businessoperators on the need to incorporate technology such asusing social media in advertising tourist guiding services; andalso some experiences were shared on how to be a successfultourism business. Information regarding establishment and allassociated details on co-operatives was also shared duringthe celebrations with the view of encouraging participants toconsider establishing their own tourist guiding co-operatives.Co-operatives are easier to start since the Department of TradePage 4

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013Bojanalaand Industry provides a non-refundable incentive of aboutR350 000 towards the capitalisation of the co-operative.The NDT’s Deputy Director-General for Policy and KnowledgeServices and National Registrar of Tourist Guides Mr VictorTharage presented an opening address at the celebrations. MrTharage emphasised the need for the tourist guide industryto be formally acknowledged as a profession, with playershaving undergone training accredited through the Culture,Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, Sports Sector Education TrainingAuthority (CATHSSETA). Professionalizing tourist guiding willgo a long way in promoting tourism in the country throughensuring that tourist guides, their employers/or tour operators,and most importantly the tourist are all satisfied with the guidedexperience.The Deputy Minister of the NDT, Ms. Thokozile Xasa delivereda key note address during the gala dinner hosted as part of thecelebrations. In her address, Deputy Minister Xasa intimated thattourist guides were faced with challenges of having to ensurethat they think ‘out-of-the box’ to provide tourist guide servicessecond to none so that they remain competitive and relevant.Deputy Minister highlighted that technological advancementsshould be embraced and used as part of enhancing the touristguiding industry. Ms. Xasa also challenged new entrants into thetourist guiding industry to “take up opportunities presented bycooperatives and work with tour operators to enhance marketaccess”. Deputy Minister concluded her address by calling uponemerging and established enterprises to work together sharingnotes towards success and transformation of the tourism sector.Who is a Tourist Guide?Showing tourist attraction.The Tourism Act No. 72 of 1993 defines a tourist guide as a“person who for reward, whether monetary or otherwise,accompanies any person who travels within the country or visitsany place within the Republic and who furnishes such a personwith information or comment with regard to any matter.”(Source: Federation of South African Guide Associations).Training of Tourist GuidesTraining of tourist guides is undertaken by accredited institutions.These training institutions are accredited by the Culture, Arts,Tourism, Hospitality and Sports Sector Education and TrainingAuthority (CATHSSETA) previously the Tourism, Hospitality &Sport Education and Training Authority (THETA) - a body setup in 2000 to ensure that effective education and trainingoccurs that meets the current and future needs of the tourismsector. This is in line with the South African QualificationsAuthority (SAQA) Act 1995, which drives the NationalQualifications Framework ((NQF).The NQF reflects the newapproach to education and training in South Africa post-1994.Some of South Africa’s attractions that bring tourists to our shores.The tourist guide first successfully completes training and/orrecognition of prior learning (RPL) with an accredited institution.Then the guide registers with the National Department ofTourism (NDT) through the provincial tourism authorities. This isPage 5

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013Tour guides may specialise in the following areas:Courtesy of www.flickr.comSome of South Africa’s attractions that bring tourists to our shores.in terms of The Tourism Second Amendment Act No. 70 of 2000(“the National Act”) assented on 13 December 2000 (GazetteNo. 21886) which commenced on 01 October 2001 as well asthe Regulations of the Act in respect of Tourist Guides publishedin the Regulation Gazette No. 22563 on 17 August 2001.For practising purposes, the Tour Guide is required to have thefollowing:Training and assessment as a competent guide;A First Aid certificate;A CATHSSETA certificate;Valid PDP licence (Public Transit Permit) and have passedtheir exams including - a Doctors examination and eye testand have a Police Clearance exam which involves Fingerprintingand investigating criminal records. Each driver mustalso have a valid SA Driving Licence;Registration with relevant provincial tourism authority; andBe at least 21 years.In the event where somebody operates as a ‘tourist guide’without meeting the above training, certification and registrationrequirements, then that person is in contravention of the SecondTourism Amendment Act of 2000, and is liable for prosecution,and fined up to R1000. Tourist operators found guilty of usingillegal ‘tourist guides’ can be fined amounts up to R10 000.Tourist guides in South Africa fall into three broad categoriescomprising nature, culture and adventure guides.Adventure Guide who requires guiding skills plus specialistrecreational skills such as white water rafting, hiking ormountaineeringBilingual Guide who offers interpretation of language as wellas guiding skillsGuide Coordinator who is usually one who has hadexperience as a guide and now supervises, coordinates andtrains guidesIndigenous Guide who conducts tours with a special culturalemphasis and which requires a deep understanding oftheir cultureLocal Guide who specializes in a particular city or regionNature-based and Eco-tour Guide who conducts day orextended tours and requires guiding skills and specialistenvironmental knowledgeSite Guide who may work, for example, in museums, culturalcentres, theme parks and sporting facilitiesTour guides need to keep abreast of all new developmentsin the country; thus, constant reading and updating ofknowledge is of vital importance.The Federation of South African Guide Associations has theTourist Guide Code of Conduct and Ethics. These bind allqualified practising Tourist Guides.Courtesy of www.flickr.comThe South African Tourist Guide Code of Conductand EthicsA Professional Tourist Guide SHALL:Tourist guide at Hluhluwe Game Reserve.Uphold the principles of the South African Constitution,especially chapters one and two;At all times show willingness to provide optimum supportand quality service to all tourists, and will give tourists anopportunity to enjoy, or visit a desired destination;Page 6

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013BojanalaCourtesy of www.flickr.comCourtesy of www.flickr.comTourist guide taking tourists for a game drive.In no way discriminate in rendering service to any tourist onany basis, eg colour, gender, ethnicity, nationality, physicalchallenge, age, etc.;Be impartial, unbiased and positive, and represent SouthAfrica objectively;Be suitably dressed and presentable at all times;Be punctual, reliable, honest, conscientious and tactful atall times;Be a responsible driver, when driving as a guide;Carry out the programme / itinerary of a tour to his / her bestabilities and be loyal to the company / organisation that he /she is representing;Deal with conflict in a sensitive and responsible manner;Report any incident of injury or death to a nearby touristauthority or police station;Be knowledgeable and shall assist tourists and not providethem with misleading information;In the event of not being familiar with, or being unable toprovide information requested by a tourist, consult with theappropriate authorities for assistance;Railway museum in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, one of SA tourist attractions.At no time be under the influence of alcohol or anarcotic substance, while on duty, and shall refrain fromadministering any medication to a client without propermedical consultation;Never solicit for clients or gratuities;Be concerned at all times for the safety of the tourist;Wear the appropriate tourist guide badge and will carry his/her registration card; andTreat all people, cultures and the environment with respect.It is clear from the above that tourist guiding is not only aboutproviding tourists with information on the areas visited, but alsohas a lot do with people skills. A good tourist guide is thereforeone who will make the visitors feel safe around, entertained,well taken care of, respected, and most importantly feel thatthey got value for money.Rural tourist guiding in action.In summary, the knowledgeable and professional tourist guideshave a critical role to play in developing and sustaining tourismin the country. These guides provide a vital link between visitorsand their experiences of South Africa and its many tourismattractions. The NDT and its tourism stakeholders have puttogether and number of tourist guide support websites, providingdetails of registered professional tourist guides in various areasof the country, and this will go a long way in making visitor’sSouth African experience a memorable one. Celebrating touristguide day and sharing information and raising awarenessabout that is a step in the right direction towards an enhancingthe tourist guide profession and work that the Department isengaging on to celebrate and encourage tour guides shouldtherefore be commended.Page 7

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013“Strategic direction of NDT forthe coming financial year April2013 -March 2014”Courtesy of www.flickr.comThe National Department of Tourism held its February Lekgotlaon 21 and 22 February 2013During this session the department interrogated its targetsfor the 2013-2014 performance year and carefully revisited itsstrategic direction in the coming performance cycle which wastabled for discussion at the Tourism Portfolio Committee inParliament on Wednesday, 13 March 2013In this article we unpack the highlights for our readersTourism Development in South AfricaTourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors inthe world. It now plays a greater role than ever before, bothon the global stage and in the lives of South Africans. Thevision of the NDT is to be a catalyst for tourism growth andCourtesy of www.flickr.comYoung Chefs Programme is amongst NDT’s priorities for 2013/14 financial year.development in South Africa, and is driven by a mission tocreate conducive conditions for growing and developing tourismthrough innovation, strategic partnerships and collaboration,providing information and knowledge management servicesand strengthening institutional capacity.The mandate of the department is to make tourism a keyeconomic growth pillar in South Africa as recognised by theNational Development Plan and the New Growth Path. TheNational Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) remains the blue printfor the sector. The department has since adopted the 2013/14Strategic Plan and this will contribute in focusing on alreadyidentifies priorities for the next financial year.A drive on job creationIt is now clearly recognised that Tourism is a labour-intensivesector with a supply chain that cascades deep into our nationaleconomy and hence it is a sector with potential to create jobs.The Department will under its Social Responsibility Initiativescontinue with the successful Young Chefs training programmeand the Sommelier training programme. In the 2013/2014financial year, 800 students will be trained under the Young Chefsprogramme and 200 students will be trained as sommeliers.Thetarget set in our Strategic Plan for the 2013/2014 MTEF is tocreate 5173 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs through all our SRIprojects. The responsibility to create jobs will also lie with otherindustry players to create opportunities for young people to getexperience and exposure essential for future employment.Page 8

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013BojanalaRefocus on TransformationThe Minister of Tourism, Mr Marthinus Van Schalkwyk on theStrategic plan has set a clear agenda to foster inclusive economicparticipation in the tourism sector. The department will focuson supporting rural enterprises; historically disadvantagedenterprises (HDE), and the training of enterprises on businessskills, tourism opportunities and competitiveness, amongstothers. The NDT has committed to support a total number of969 rural enterprises, and further support 2 494 historicallydisadvantaged enterprises. The target is to create 4 000 full-timeequivalent jobs through the department’s Tourism EnterprisePartnership.Creating a better Policy framework for the industryThe NDT has already taken the Tourism Bill into Parliament,which will replace the Tourism Act of 1993. The key legislativeobjectives of the Bill is to provide for the effective marketing ofSouth Africa, both domestically and internationally, to promotequality tourism products and services, to promote the growthand development of the sector, and to ensure the effectiveintergovernmental relations in developing and managingtourism. The new legislative framework, together with ourNational Tourism Sector Strategy will provide sufficient guidanceon how best to achieve our strategic vision for the Department.Besides the efforts towards improving the legislative frameworkof tourism in South Africa, the department remain seizedwith developing a range of other specific policy frameworkfor the industry. The NDT will provide a framework for theimplementation of responsible tourism and effective tourismresponse to climate change. The National Responsible TourismStrategy, the Tourism Universal Accessibility Action Plan andthe National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism(NMSRT) Accreditation System for certification agencies will beimplemented. Part of this programme will include the roll-out oftourism incentives to encourage promote responsible tourism.The NDT will also create awareness on tourism for policy makersto promote tourism friendly policies at a local level.Relooking at the International Tourism driveSouth Africa has experience growth of international touristarrivals which has been exceeding international trends and thisconfirms South Africa is a leading and favourite destinationon a global scale. The Strategy of the NDT is to provide newenergy towards the growth International Tourism. The aim isto increase in the number of foreign tourist arrivals. To achievethis, the department will provide analysis to better understandall markets the department and intervene appropriately. A keystrategy of the department will be to strengthen regional andinternational tourism collaboration and partnerships throughbilateral and multilateral engagements.Targeting the Domestic TouristThe department will continue to focus on Domestic Tourismthat has potential to create a more sustainable tourism sector.The implementation of the Domestic Tourism Growth Strategywill allow for integrated planning and resourcing of identifiedprojects as well as responding to the key government priorities.It will assist in creating awareness on the hidden treasureswithin the least visited provinces and to inculcate the cultureof travel among South Africans. In order to improve the qualityof people working in the tourism industry it is imperative toimplement a strategy that will focus on people developmentand transformation.Collaboration is crucialSuperb South African beaches drive domestic and international tourism.The department will focus on facilitating initiatives aimedat the reducing barriers to tourism growth and improvingstakeholder engagement within the tourism sector. TheNational Department of Tourism will continue to work togetherwith partner departments, agencies and industry to ensure thatthe South African tourism sector remains globally competitive.Some of the critical collaborations in this regard include travelfacilitation, airlift strategy implementation and strengtheningdomestic tourism.Page 9

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013growth and development of tourism. The department developeda Local Government Tourism Capacitation programme, whichaims to transfer the necessary skills to effectively supporttourism planning and management at officials’ level acrossmunicipalities. The Local Government Tourism conference inFebruary 2013 was a practical way of developing collaborationand partnerships within tourism sector of South Africa.Courtesy of www.flickr.comImage showing one of tourism attraction perfomances.The Local government will remain a key partner for thedevelopment of the Tourism sector in South Africa. LocalGovernment provides a critical link in the delivery chain forStrategic GoalsThe NDT has established clear priorities in tourism for SouthAfrica. The Strategic Plan is realistic, and has set practicalactions to achieve the goals of the department in the 2013/2014financial year. It is designed to ensure that South Africa cancontinue to be a successful tourism destination. Below is tableshowing the goals of the department.NDT Organisation Strategic GoalsStrategic Outcome Oriented Goals Goal Statements Government Outcomes1. Achieve good corporate andcooperative governance.2. Improve impact of tourism on thelivelihood of all South Africans.3. Tourism priorities integrated withinother sector departments, provincialand local government’s planning4. Improved Tourism Sector Research,Information and KnowledgeManagement.5. Increased contribution of tourismsector to inclusive economic growth.6. Improved levels of competitivenessand sustainability in the tourismsector.7. Strengthened regional, Africa andinternational collaboration andpartnerships.Provide comprehensive corporate support service tothe department to ensure good governanceTo monitor and evaluate the implementation oftourism programmes, strategies and policies.Render policy frameworks, stakeholder managementand planning related support services at provincialand local government level by analysing andparticipating in their planning processes.To advance Research, Information and KnowledgeManagement within the tourism sector.Facilitation of compliance to the gazetted tourismcharter by identified tourism sub-sectors.To provide international tourism market (country and/or region) analysis to inform strategic interventions.Profile regions and develop appropriate integratedsupport packages that respond to tourismdevelopment and growth needs.To promote responsible tourism best practices toinculcate a culture of responsible tourism in SouthAfrica.Strengthen regional, Africa and internationalcollaboration and partnerships through bilateral andmultilateral engagements.Outcome 12: An efficient, effective anddevelopment oriented public service and anempowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.Outcome 4: Decent employment throughinclusive economic growth.Outcome 12: An efficient, effective anddevelopment oriented public service and anempowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.Outcome 4: Decent employment throughinclusive economic growth.Outcome 7: Vibrant, equitable andsustainable rural communities and foodsecurity for all.Outcome 4: Decent employment throughinclusive economic growth.Outcome 4: Decent employment throughinclusive economic growth.Outcome 10: Environmental assets andnatural resources that are well protectedand continually enhanced.Outcome 11: Creating a better South Africaand contributing to a better and safer Africain a better worldPage 10

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013BojanalaCourtesy of www.flickr.comThe Tourism Bill, 2012“changing the landscape of tourism managementin South Africa…..Courtesy of www.flickr.comThe Bojanala editorial team visited Ms. Mmaditonki Setwaba,the person behind the Tourism Bill for discussion on the journeytravelled. Ms Setwaba is Chief Director responsible for legalservices in the National Department of tourism. An admittedAttorney with substantial in-house and private legal practiceexperience who specialises in legislative drafting, managementof litigation, contract negotiations and drafting, drafting ofinternational agreements, amongst others; Ms. Setwaba hasbeen almost single-handedly responsible for the tourism legalreview that culminated in the drafting of the Tourism Bill, 44of 2012. The Bill was subsequently published in GovernmentGazette No. 35909 of 30 November 2012 for public comment.In her professional career, Ms. Setwaba has seen through anumber legal review processes, including the review of thewater resources management legislation.Tourism stakeholders at a workshop“The tourism legal review process has been a long and lonesomeone”, Ms. Setwaba reminisces. The process started in the secondhalf of the year 2009, with the presentations to various tourismstakeholders with the view to solicit inputs from stakeholderson the focus areas of the tourism legal review process. “Theconsultation process was extremely successful, and we receivedoverwhelming inputs from wide range of stakeholders, and weknew exactly which key areas to focus on to ensure we addressthe plight of the tourism stakeholder”, added Ms. Setwaba.Following the stakeholder consultation process, then thedaunting task of analysing all stakeholder inputs unfolded andthis guided the birth of the new Tourism Bill.The Need for Tourism Legal ReviewThe 1996 White Paper on the Development and Promotion ofTourism in South Africa described the tourism potential of SouthAfrica as ‘phenomenal’. South Africa’s tourism attractivenessis due to diverse tourism offerings in the country. Amongstthe features which make South Africa an incredibly attractivetourism proposition there are accessible wildlife, varied andimpressive scenery, unspoiled wilderness areas, diverse cultures(in particular traditional and township African cultures),generally sunny and hot climate, no ‘jet lag’ from Europe, a welldevelopedinfrastructure and virtually unlimited opportunitiesfor special interest activities such as whale-watching, wild waterrafting, hiking, bird-watching, bush survival, deep-sea fishing,hunting and diving. In addition, unique archaeological sites andPage 11

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013battlefields, the availability of excellent conference and exhibitionfacilities, a wide range of sporting facilities, good communicationand medical services, internationally known attractions (TableMountain, Cape of Good Hope, Sun City, Kruger National Park,Garden Route, Maputaland) and unrivalled opportunities to visitother regional internationally known attractions (e.g. VictoriaFalls and the Okavango Swamps) make South Africa an almostcomplete tourist destination.ensure the sustainable growth and development of the tourismsector, and that inadequate, uncoordinated and fragmentedplanning and information provision was the most pervasivechallenge facing development and growth of tourism in thecountry.The Minister only focused his presentation on the providing theportfolio committee with the background and context uponwhich the Tourism Bill had been drafted, and left the presentationof the finer details of the Bill to the Director-General and seniormanagers of the Department.Courtesy of www.flickr.comCourtesy of www.flickr.comLike directional signs on this image, Tourism Bill will givedirection to tourism development in SA.Furthermore, the New Growth Path has identified tourismas one of the drivers of economic growth and job creation inSouth Africa. Tourism is expected to contribute to creation ofno less than 225 000 jobs by 2015. Indeed, the tourism sectorhas potentials of contributing immensely to creating vast jobopportunities that South Africa so much requires.Notwithstanding all the above-mentioned advantages,potentials and targets, South Africa has not been able to realiseits full potential in tourism. As such, the contribution of tourismto employment, small business development, income and foreignexchange earnings remains limited. This has been attributed toinsufficient institutional, including legal provisions for tourism.Prior to drafting the Tourism Bill, South African tourism sectorwas governed by the Tourism Act (No. 72 of 1993), that couldnot sufficiently provide for all the new developments within thetourism sector.Tourism Bill Presented to the ParliamentOn Tuesday the 12th of February 2012, the Tourism Bill waspresented to the Tourism Portfolio Committee in Parliament. Theelated Minister told the portfolio committee that the Bill whenenacted will repeal the Tourism Act of 1993 and its subsequentamendments. The Tourism Act of 1993 has been dubbed as“inert and inflexible” and was said to have failed to provide anoverarching national legislative framework for the managementof tourism and did not support the implementation of the1996 Tourism White Paper, and hence the new Tourism Bill.The Minister said that the Department embarked on draftingthe Tourism Bill upon realising that transformation was vital toOverview of the Tourism BillThe Bill is premised on the recognition that:Picture of the Tsitsikama cultural village, Eastern Cape.• Tourism in South Africa has grown considerably since thecountry’s democratic election; and that• inadequate, uncoordinated, inconsistent and fragmentedtourism planning and information provision is the mostpervasive challenge facing the development and growth oftourism in the Republic; and that• transformation is vital to ensure the sustainable growth anddevelopment of the tourism sector; and therefore• these challenges are best addressed through a concertedeffort by all spheres of government and the private sector towork together to create an environment that is conducive tothe sustainable growth, development and transformation oftourism.The Bill has therefore been drafted “to provide for thedevelopment and promotion of sustainable tourism for thebenefit of the Republic, its residents and its visitors; to providefor the continuedPage 12

TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013BojanalaCourtesy of www.flickr.comImage of the Big hole in Kimberly, Northern Cape.existence of the South African Tourism Board; to provide for theestablishment of the Tourism Grading Council; to regulate thetourist guide profession; to repeal certain laws; and to providefor matters connected therewith.”The Bill is structured into seven chapters providing for the aboveaspects as follows:Tourism Sector Strategy following consultation with all therelevant tourism stakeholders, and having published the noticein the government Gazette.This chapter also provides for the Minister to establish adatabase in which tourism businesses would voluntarily provideinformation, including the business’ name, the location ofbusiness, nature of services and products the business providesand various other information. It is noteworthy that provisioningof information into the database is voluntary, however, businessare mandated to report truthfully when they choose to providesuch information for the database. The chapter provides forissuing of incentives for businesses that choose to provideinformation for the tourism database.Chapter 1: Interpretation and ObjectsThis chapter outlines key definitions related to the tourismindustry and provides an account on the objects of the Bill. Theobjects of the Bill are the following:Courtesy of www.flickr.comMs Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo is Executive Manager of the National Conventions Bureau.• promote the practising of responsible tourism, contemplatedin subsection, for the benefit of the Republic and for theenjoyment of all its residents and foreign visitors;• provide for the effective domestic and international marketingof South Africa as a tourist destination;• promote quality tourism products and services;• promote growth in and development of the tourism sector;and• enhance cooperation and coordination between all spheresof government in developing and managing tourism.Chapter 2: National Tourism Sector Strategy, Normsand Standards, Codes of Good PracticeThis chapter makes provision for the development and adoptionof the National Tourism Sector Strategy as part of the legislativeframework for the promotion, development and transformationof tourism. The Minister is obligated to adopt this NationalThe chapter also provides for the development of norms andstandards as well as codes of good practice for handling certaintourism functions. The chapter obligates the Minister to followdue processes involving proper consultation with relevanttourism stakeholder in developing such norms and standards orcode of good practice.Chapter 3: South African Tourism BoardIn this chapter provision is made for the continued existenceof the South African Tourism Board, as established under theTourism Act of 1993. The chapter outlines in details what thefunctions of the Board will be, its powers, its composition, theterm of office of the Board members, their remuneration, thecommittees of the Board, their meetings, funds of the Board,appointment of staff members of the Board, to mention but afew.The Chapter also makes provision for the Board to establisha National Conventions Bureau that would facilitate thecoordinated marketing of South Africa as a business tourismdestination.Page 13

Bojanala TOURISM Edition 01 January/February/March 2013Chapter 4: Grading SystemThis chapter makes provision for the Minister to develop anational grading system for tourism that will ensure enhancingand maintenance of standards and quality of tourismestablishments, services and products. When developed thetourism grading system must be such that it promotes theobjects of the act as well as the national tourism sector strategydeveloped in terms of the act.makes provision for the appointment of a suitably qualifiedDepartmental official as the National Registrar of Tourist Guides,who will maintain a central database of all tourist guides in thecountry as well as establishing the code of conduct and ethicsfor all registered tourist guides. Appointments of ProvincialRegistrars of Tourist Guides for each of the country’s provincesare also provided for in the chapter of the Bill.This chapter also prescribes the procedures to be followed forregistration as a tourist guide, outlines actions to be takenregarding disqualification of tourist guide in the event wherethe tourist guide stepped off the line.Chapter 7: GeneralThis chapter makes provisions for the Minister to makeregulations that will support the objects of the act. Offencesand penalties are also covered in this chapter of the Bill. Uponenactment, this Bill will repeal the Tourism Act (Act No 72 of1993), and all its amendments of 1996, and 2000.Courtesy of www.flickr.comSouth African Tourism CEO, Mr. Thulani Nzima addressing audience on Tourism Grading.The Bill in this chapter also makes provisions for the establishmentof the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) as astatutory entity responsible for implementing and managing thetourism grading system. The bill also provides for the minister todetermine a grading system and assign the oversight role andfunctions of the TGCSA to the National Department of Tourism,the board of South African Tourism, or any other suitable bodyin compliance with the Public Finance Management Act.Chapter 5: Tourism ProtectionThe Bill in this chapter makes provision for the appointmentof a suitably qualified official of the department as a TourismProtector who will receive and handle all the complaintsregarding any tourism establishment, its products or services toensure that they are effectively, efficiently and speedily resolved.The chapter further prescribes the process and procedure to befollowed upon receiving tourism complaints by the TourismProtector.Chapter 6: Tourist GuidesThis chapter of the Bill provides for registration of tourist guidesto ensure growth and development as well as improve andmaintain standards in the tourist guiding sector. The Bill alsoStakeholder Comments on the Tourism BillFollowing gazetting, presentation of the Tourism Bill to Parliamentand all the public hearings held, comments on the Bill have beenreceived from diverse tourism industry stakeholders includingother organs of state such as provincial tourism departmentsand the South African Local Government Association (SALGA),organised labour, tourism products owners, and the generalpublic. The comments received were mainly focused on theissues regarding processes for registration of tourist guides,their qualifications, working conditions, remuneration matters,etc. Issues relating to provisioning of guidance on howtransformation should be handled within the tourism sectorhave also been raised. Comments were also raised on theweaknesses that exist in the tourism grading system with specificreference to implementation and monitoring of the gradingsystem and the penalties associated with the grading system, aswell as optimising benefits associated with the grading system.On the whole, comments received suggest that generally theBill is welcomed by the wide range of stakeholders, and it isbelieved it will provide the much desired direction towardsthe development and promotion of sustainable tourism for thebenefits of the Republic, its residents and its visitors.In conclusion, the Bill has been developed and presented toall various tourism stakeholders for inputs. Comments werereceived and they are currently been considered towards therevision and refinement and finalisation of the Tourism Bill. TheBill when enacted will surely provide appropriate framework forenhancing tourism sector performance.Page 14