THRIVE ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2024 15 We have a distance to go before we all speak in one unified voice about the trajectory of tourism in this country. With the recent publication of the White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa 2024 in the government gazette, and the strides made over the last 30 years there is hope that we will bring these ends closer and closer together. Beyond the buy in from all key stakeholders, the process of implementation requires sustained levels of commitment. Higher Education Institutions, Government, the private sector, and the communities need to double the efforts to work together to create an inclusive and transformed tourism sector. We need to equally prioritise domestic tourism growth, such that we avoid the situation where our domestic tourists feel like tourism is a foreign concept, and they are not part of it. As an educator, I should be taking the lead in ensuring that my content aligns to the industry reality. I ought to equally ensure that I equip the students with the agency to go out and be agents of change in society, empowering them with the knowledge to narrow the gaps highlighted. Those tasked with the responsibility to promote tourism should be looking at diversifying their outlets and the messages they send out such that it is informative and inclusive. Professionals in industry who develop tourism experiences and attractions should think local and international tourism. The world has become smaller, so too is the need for a novel approach to tourism development and its management. We need to narrow our “tourism gap” and this can start with improving our dialogue and building bridges between the ends. Now is the time for us to consolidate, progress together and build a more inclusive, shared industry. The hope is that tomorrow, we will be able to change perception on the ground of who a tourist is and is not. “There are bridges we need to build and spaces we ought to narrow if we want tourism to reach its true potential in South Africa. ” ~ Nyikana Click Here for to read more on the Domestic Tourism Study
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