Free State Business 2021

State Province
FOCUS
Growing the
tourism sector
Dr Mbulelo Nokwequ, Head of Department at
DESTEA, outlines some of the Free State’s
unique selling propositions.
The Tourism Unit of DESTEA is providing market access for local operators.
Free State Province is situated in the heart of South Africa and
DESTEA’s shares borders with Tourism Lesotho Unit’s and objective six other provinces. is to It provides
easy access grow the tourism sector’s contribution
to Free the State main economy. ports of In Durban, achieving
East London and
Port Elizabeth.
The Free State this, is various an attractive activities business and functions and investment are destination.
The performed, province is which at the include: centre of South Africa and the dominant sectors
are
•
agriculture,
Creating a
mining,
conducive
manufacturing
environment
and
for
the
tourism
tertiary
to
sectors, making
it ideal
thrive
for transport logistics and agro-processing.
• Formulating and implementing a Provincial
Companies locating to Free State not only enjoy the opportunity to
Tourism Sector Strategy to guide tourism activities
source inputs at competitive prices, but also to benefit from domestic,
in the province
regional and international markets for their products and services.
• Providing market access opportunities both
Because South Africa has been engaging with our economically large
locally and internationally to provincial tourism • Promotion of tourism safety through among others,
trading partners, access to international markets is facilitated through
enterprises
programmes such as the Provincial Joint
various
• Roll
trade
out programmes
preferences and
to enhance
free-trade
visitor
agreements.
services Operational and Intelligence Structure (Provjoints),
As
and
far
experience
as long-term investment is concerned, there are
with
industrial
law enforcement agencies, and also through
parks • Facilitate and a Special and promote Economic tourism Zone (SEZ) education that are and supported implementing by the the Tourism Monitors Programme.
Department capacity-building of Trade, for Industry the tourism and sector Competition. Industrial parks
are • Promote situated in the Maluti-A-Phofung, culture tourism Botshabelo and service and Thaba Journey Nchu. to Service • an Excellence idyllic climate
Maluti-A-Phofung excellence SEZ is situated in Tshiame.
The J2SE will focus • recreational nominating and lifestyle a small town
• The Promote Free State’s transformation strengths of for the inward tourism investment sector for are boosted in the rural by: tourism facilities. nodes and assisting the
•
•
•
•
openness inclusive tourism business, economy, trade and as well foreign as providing investment
abundance support to of youth natural and resources women in tourism
• low Facilitating factory rentals events tourism to reduce seasonality
Africa’s and enhance leading geographic telecommunications spread network
town to develop a service excellence-orientated
culture in their Select organisations investment opportunities
and different
structures with include: strong media attention and focus
during the activation. • Agriculture A town and will agroprocessing
be identified
•
•
•
of Service Excellence will be
• incentive Facilitate packages funding uniquely for initiatives developed that for Special seek to Economic and the Zones principles
incentives develop and associated grow tourism with the in the revitalised province industrial parks communicated • to all Tourism organisations. and property A criterion has
Free State Development Corporation (FDC) support services been for developed development for the nomination which
priority sectors such as agro-processing and manufacturing has been shared • Medical and discussed and pharmaceutical with relevant
•
•
•
a large labour pool
diverse cultures
competitive land and building cost
stakeholders. production A number of and activities distribution will be
implemented • Manufacturing
anticipation of the big media
event to launch • Renewable J2SE Town. and clean energy
• world-class transport and telecommunications infrastructure At its core, • the Medical J2SE aims tourism.
bring together
the entire town including restaurants,
accommodation facilities, tourist attractions,
police, banks and petrol attendants, among
7 others, to be informed, FREE trained STATE and BUSINESS exposed 2020 to
the four components of the SANS 1197:2012.
A secondary objective of this programme is
to establish a local Tourism Service Excellence
structure or to link with existing structures to
build a sustainable service culture. ■
FREE STATE BUSINESS 2021
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