National Tourism Sector Strategy - Department of Tourism

5. Critical successfactors for sustainablecompetitivenessThe following factors are critical for the successfulimplementation of the NTSS:• Continuously and proactively aligning the NTSS(which should ideally be updated annually) withkey developments and trends in the macro(technological, environmental, socio-cultural,political and economic), competitive and marketenvironments. Appropriate benchmarks, indicatorsand evaluation mechanisms are essential.• Strategic and visionary leadership driven by anagreed, shared and inspirational vision, a setof guiding values and strategic priorities, which areaccepted and embraced by all public and privatesectorstakeholders• Addressing community participation andbeneficiation as an underlying and cross-cuttingstrategic priority• Giving strategic priority to people development(human resources and capacity building)• Continuously advocating tourism among allpoliticians and opinion leaders as a strategic andsustainable industry, and a key contributor to GDPand job creation in South Africa (from the national tothe local levels), which require appropriate funding• Ensuring that future tourism product developmentand packaging are value and market-driven andunderpinned by a culture of service excellence• Ensuring and sustaining a powerful and distinctivedestination brand, competitive positioning andinnovative marketing strategy in the ‘new’ tourismmarketplace, aligned across national, regional andlocal levels• Strategically managing reliable, timely and accessibleknowledge (such as trends, competitors, marketsand strategies) and research as a key to futuretourism planning, marketing and management of theresource base• Ensuring a results-driven, streamlined, dynamicand adaptable tourism structure from national tolocal level, with clarity on roles, responsibilities andrelationships (avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy)• Leveraging mutually beneficial partnershipsregionally and between stakeholders at all levels (in aspirit of co-option across political borders)• Continuously focusing on sustainablecompetitiveness and balancing economic, socialand environmental issues• Influencing a review of the airlift strategy, andactive participation in its implementation to improvecapacity and access• Ensuring that effective risk mitigation plans are inplace• Continuously realigning the target markets withthe changing market landscape to balance theportfolios47