Chairperson, may I apologise for not being here on time. It is simply because of the change in the schedule. I am sorry about that. I should have been here.
What we have before us here is the Tourism Amendment Bill, which essentially deals with the regulation of the tour guiding system. Before I speak on the Bill itself, may I just say, as an introductory remark, that the quality of the tour guides that we have in this country, or that any country has, impacts substantially on the growth, or otherwise, of the tourism industry.
Large numbers of international visitors, particularly, depend on tour guides in order to be able to experience the country in an adequate and full manner so to speak. I therefore, think that we should not underestimate the value and importance of tour guides to the tourism industry and to the economy as a whole.
This is an area, I must say, which not everybody easily considers as a career option. We are hoping that with the introduction of this particular Bill we will be able to take a number of steps in order to ensure that particularly people from disadvantaged communities, young people and schoolchildren, will begin to consider this as a serious career option, as it is considered in various other parts of the world.
This Bill seeks to lay the foundation for developing a socially, environmentally and culturally responsible tourist guiding sector, and will enable the removal of historical barriers to entry into the tourism industry, while at the same time developing a guiding sector that will enhance the international competitiveness of our tourism offering. The Bill constitutes a bold step towards transformation of the tourism industry in line with the White Paper on tourism. This object informs the regulatory framework review that we are conducting in parallel with this legislative process. It is these regulations that will help us measure the success of the law we want to enact.
We have now placed on the agenda of all players in the tourism industry the question of industry transformation in the form of a framework document which is being finalised by my department. The underlying principles of that policy framework are the creation of opportunities for access, entrepreneurial development, and employment for the disadvantaged persons and communities. The frontier of delivery on this promise cannot be pushed out any further, as those whom we hope will benefit through this Bill remain on the periphery of the tourism industry and its benefits as we speak.
While the Bill focuses primarily on tourist guiding, the impact thereof goes far beyond this sector of the tourism industry. In essence the Bill has much relevance to our efforts to create jobs, increase tourism to South Africa and position the country as a competitive destination. It is therefore in this context that we seek the NCOP's approval of this Bill.
The Bill further seeks to ensure quality tourism experiences for visitors and travellers in South Africa. To this end, the Bill locates tourist guide training and qualification within the new paradigm established by the Skills Development Act, and the South African Qualifications Authority Act under the custodianship of the Tourism and Hospitality Education and Training Authority, the so-called Theta.
This will contribute significantly to the quality of guiding services in the country, and lower barriers to entry, as the new training regime will recognise indigenous knowledge, as well as previous learning and experience. You will recall that we have just sent a group of 40 protgs to Germany for intensive training in the field of tour guiding, which was made easy by the Theta's involvement.
Transferring the oversight function to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and decentralising the administration of the guide registration function to provinces, will ensure accessibility to tourist guiding and allow for better marketing of South Africa as a tourism destination. A decentralised system brings the means of entering the industry closer to the people, and ensures a better dissemination of information about tourist guiding.
Also, speedy implementation of the new system will enhance Satour's ability to focus on its core function, that is the marketing of South Africa as a prime tourism destination. We thus need to put the new system into operation as soon as possible by moving speedily on the approval of the Tourism Amendment Bill.
I am sure hon members will agree that we are now not only going to be able to effectively discourage illegal and fly-by-night tour guides, but that we will create a window of opportunity to provide support to those who need it most. Further, the Bill will serve as an important instrument in moving the industry as a whole in the right direction, creating a firm basis for the performance of the function by the appropriate actors with specific targets on focused areas.
A number of provinces during our discussions, particularly in the Minmec, have raised the question of finances, and whether this will place an undue burden on provinces as far as financial implications are concerned. May I just say here that Satour has indicated that to the extent that it would have budgeted for the tour guiding function, which is currently with Satour, those funds would be transferred to the department, whereafter the department would be able to transfer those on a pro rata basis.
That, of course, would be for the remainder of this particular financial year. I am not certain whether these would be substantial amounts as such. The important thing about locating this function with either the national department or the provincial departments - in this case it is located both with national and provincial departments - would be for all of us to apply our minds to finding a way in which the industry can pay for itself.
The tour guiding system services the industry, and in most countries of the world this is a function that pays for itself. For example, a registration fee for tour guides would be a source of income which could be used for this particular purpose. Secondly, those enterprises within the industry that need to interact with tour guides and provinces themselves may need to find a way in which they themselves register so as to make sure that sufficient funds do come in.
This is an area which all provinces would certainly, in their own interests, have to promote and attend to in as rigorous a manner as possible. At the end of the day, a tour guide tends to be province- specific. If one wants well-trained, highly knowledgeable tour guides, one cannot simply rely on people that have a general knowledge of locations in South Africa, but would rather seek out people who have a specific, in- depth knowledge about particular provinces. I think those provinces that have adequate and better tour guides will, at the end of the day, make themselves more competitive as well. [Applause.]