Mr Chairperson, while the DA supports this budget, we do so with reservations. The total amount allocated by the Treasury is insufficient for this department's main task, which is to market South Africa to the world's tourists.
Tourism generates considerable profits for the fiscus. The marketing initiatives of South African tourism helped contribute R173,9 billion to the economy last year. For the past six years, this ANC government has encouraged the hospitality industry to invest untold millions of rands in expanding their operations to ensure they could capitalise on the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Tourism, they told us, would be the major money spinner this year and beyond, but at this crucial moment, this government has cut SA Tourism's budget by 20% this year, and during the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, by a total of R160 million, funds previously earmarked to exploit the positive exposure from the World Cup. Any first-year marketing student will tell you that this is precisely the time when SA Tourism should be increasing its marketing spend.
To properly resource SA Tourism would require an amount less than one-tenth of one per cent of our current national Budget. South Africa can easily afford this when it is viewed against the potential revenue this sector is expected to generate. We urge the department, as we did during the Budget debate, to reprioritise its inadequate allocation of funds to ensure SA Tourism is properly funded. This is essential if the industry is to get its deserved return on World Cup-inspired investment.