National Tourism Sector Strategy - Department of Tourism

Actions to address the issueActionDevelop and implement a national structure for tourisminformation provision, which covers information provisionon all South African tourism products/experiences in allgateways, provinces and major cities, and relevant informationprovision in municipalities (where appropriate). Ensurethat this structure has a central electronic database as itsfoundation.Develop accredited qualifications and training for tourisminformation officialsSub-actionsResearch international and local best practice (including 2010World Cup initiatives), and design structures to accommodate differentlevels of accredited, uniformly branded information centres(could be virtual; exclusively for information provision; add-ons toanother function; travel agent, petrol station, private, public or acombination)Develop tourism signage permissions and standards, including theuse and ownership of the i-signInvestigate the role and responsibilities of local government indeveloping and managing tourist information centresDevelop training materials for tourism information officials, andprovide standardised training across South Africa, ensuring thatofficials obtain knowledge about the entire country and not just theirown area or province, as well as acquire a recognised qualificationUniversities and schools are to engage information centres to provideinternships for students in tourism information offices.2.2.4 Responsible tourismOverviewSouth Africa’s natural environment is one of its greatest tourism resources, and, therefore, the tourism industry needsto be actively involved in conserving and protecting it. Visitors – both domestic and international – could be encouragedto participate in the protection and conservation of South Africa’s natural environment, and to enjoy a responsible travelexperience while in South Africa, helping the various tourism businesses in the country to achieve the triple bottom-line,namely economic growth, ecological sustainability and social responsibility.Climate change and global warming are high on the world agenda, and the tourism industry is under threat due totravel’s high carbon emissions and people’s propensity to avoid travel because of it. Therefore, South Africa’s tourismindustry must be seen to be minimising environmental damage to counteract the possible, negative perceptions ofenvironmentally conscious travellers.32