Mzanzi Travel - Local Travel Inspiration (Issue 5)
MZANZI TRAVEL is a full-colour quarterly, A4 publication that sets out to showcase, foster and promote whatever South Africa has to offer to both local and international tourists.
MZANZI TRAVEL is a full-colour quarterly, A4 publication that sets out to showcase, foster and promote whatever South Africa has to offer to both local and international tourists.
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News & Information<br />
According to the Department of Tourism, during the first months of 2016, up to<br />
R39.3-billion in foreign direct spend was achieved in South Africa. With the Treasury<br />
allocating an additional R494 million to the tourism budget this year, there<br />
is no doubt of the kind of value government sees in the sector. The Department<br />
of Tourism says its policy focus over the medium term will be on creating work<br />
opportunities and increasing the number of domestic and international tourist<br />
arrivals from 11 million in 2015/16 to 12 million by 2017/18. The National Tourism<br />
Sector Strategy (NTSS) seeks to increase tourism’s total direct and indirect<br />
contribution to the economy from R189, 4 billion in 2009 to R318, 2 billion in<br />
2015 and R499 billion in 2020.<br />
Source: SA News / BusinessTech<br />
South African appointed president<br />
of global tourist guide body<br />
Alushca Ritchie, a tour guide in the Western Cape, was appointed president<br />
of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations in February 2017 for a<br />
two-year term. She was appointed during the 17th biennial World Federation<br />
of Tourist Guide Associations convention recently in Tehran, Iran. Ritchie said<br />
she was looking forward to representing all tourist guides on a global platform.<br />
“This will be a great opportunity to learn and to promote a sector which is very<br />
rarely recognised as a profession, although it is an integral component of the<br />
tourism value chain.” Her passion for travel intersects with her love for food.<br />
She described herself to News24 as an “oenophile and coffee lover of note,<br />
as well as a complete bibliophile and an avid foodie”. Because of her interest<br />
in food, Ritchie enjoys showing travellers the vast variety of cuisine on offer in<br />
South Africa. “Our huge array of different ways to eat, things to eat and places<br />
to eat at are all unbelievably diverse,” she said. Her travels had helped her realise<br />
how diverse South Africa was. “It’s something truly special,” she said. “We are<br />
very proud of this global leadership achievement,” said Tourism Minister Derek<br />
Hanekom, congratulating Ritchie.<br />
Source: BrandSA / News24<br />
fact, tourism surpasses mining as an employer. “A tour guide can either<br />
make or break your tour experience. Tour guides have the ability to share<br />
knowledge, history and humour tourists while guiding them through their<br />
escapades. It’s more than just storytelling; they essentially play a significant<br />
role as ambassadors of the organisation,” said Infrastructure and Facilities<br />
Executive Manager of Robben Island Museum, Gershon Manana. Under<br />
this year’s theme by the Department of Tourism: Peace and Development<br />
through Guiding; peace, sustainability and security formed part of the robust<br />
discussions.<br />
TOURISM AFRICA<br />
Source: RobbenIsland.org.za / Reputationmatters.co.za<br />
First ever Pan-African health tourism<br />
summit to be hosted by uMhlathuze<br />
Municipality, KZN<br />
27th International Tourist Guide<br />
Day Celebrations at Robben Island<br />
In celebration of International Tourist Guide Day, commemorated annually<br />
on 21 February since 1990, Robben Island Museum in partnership with<br />
the Department of Tourism hosted a two-day celebration at Robben Island<br />
Museum from Thursday, 02 March 2017 to Friday, 03 March 2017. The<br />
purpose of the event was to celebrate and discuss the role tourist guides play<br />
in promoting peace, security and mutual understanding in relation to the 2030<br />
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).This initiative is coordinated by the<br />
World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations under the leadership of the<br />
newly elected President, South African wine specialist, Alushca Ritchie.<br />
According to Statistics South Africa’s December 2016 report on the tourism<br />
sector, the industry created 32,186 new jobs in 2015, raising the tourism<br />
workforce from 679,560 individuals in 2014 to a total of 711 746 individuals. This<br />
is despite a decline in international tourists visiting our shores in 2015. Currently,<br />
one in 22 employed people in South Africa work in the tourism industry. In<br />
The uMhlathuze local municipality in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality<br />
of KwaZulu-Natal, that includes the port of Richards Bay, is to host the inaugural<br />
Pan African Health Tourism Congress. Health tourists include people who<br />
cross borders to obtain health care treatment. Currently some 7-million health<br />
tourists travel annually and globally the health tourism industry is valued at<br />
12 |ISSUE 5|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZI TRAVEL
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