Hon House Chairperson, the decline in tourism experienced by South Africa in the recent years is a source for much concern to the IFP. According to recent Statistics SA, numbers have shown that international visitors to South Africa have declined for the first seven months of 2019.
We are currently on month eleven and no promising projections are in sight. This comes on the back of President Ramaphosa's pronouncements during his state of the nation address earlier in the year, making specific mention to international tourism and government's aim to double international visitors to 21 million by 2030.
The tourism sector, which is seen as a means to unlock jobs and economic growth in South Africa, has been battling to stay competitive. Uncertainty over visa
arrangements for visitors from certain countries and concerns over crime have been the major setbacks.
We also need to look into better educating officials within the sector to empower them to better with challenges faced by the sector and save us from this crisis. The IFP thanks you vey much.