Chairperson, it is indeed an honour for me to debate the Tourism Budget Vote today.
I would be remiss in my duty as a public representative if I did not mention that South Africa's sunny climate and scenic beauty with its cultural diversity indeed make it a well-known destination in the world. This is because one definitely gets value for money when visiting our beautiful country.
I was not surprised when Cape Town, which is in the Western Cape province and is governed by the DA, was won by the DA with a majority vote in the local government election on 18 May 2011.
Cape Town was named the top tourist destination in the world in May 2011, in the Travellers' Choice Destinations Awards. Cape Town beat places such as Sydney, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Hong Kong and many other countries in the world to take the top spot.
In 2007, Cape Town hotels were amongst the world's top 100 hotels. Cape Town was also voted the 10th best city in the world in a survey undertaken by International Travel Magazine. In 2009, Cape Town won the World Responsible Tourism Award for the best city. Halala, Cape Town, halala!
Chairperson, all three spheres of government must work together to achieve their objectives and goals. Vacancies should be filled. Hotels are fundamental in tourism, but should be more accessible to South Africans.
The core business in South African tourism, according to the Tourism Act of 1993, is to market South Africa as the tourism destination of choice. More focus needs to be put on other provinces that are not marketed as they should be.
More attention must be given to domestic tourism. Although 79% of tourist volume was derived from domestic tourists in 2010, many South Africans cannot enjoy the beauty of their own country.
It is cheaper to fly overseas than to tour in our own country. The department needs to find a way to make it possible for South Africans to enjoy their country and make it more affordable. A database must be compiled and made available electronically, to allow tourists easy access when they are looking for a destination.
The South African brand needs to be marketed in a more vigorous way so that all South Africans and the world can identify with the branding. We have so many different logos in South Africa, although they all resemble the South African flag colours.
During the World Cup, South Africans were seen very proudly wearing their South African colours, with even their cars being branded "Proudly South African". Very soon the flavour of the day will be Brazil. We need to build on the legacy that was left by the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.
The chefs programme is an excellent programme, but should be extended to all provinces on an equal basis to allow learners to benefit from it equally. We need local tourism institutions through which learnership programmes will be implemented, and we must allow all South Africans to benefit from such programmes. Guidance at schools should be given to assist learners to take advantage of these programmes. The department should play a bigger role in regard to leading and guiding the chef and learnership programmes.
The expenditure increased from R1,1 billion in the 2007-2008 financial year, to R1,2 billion in the 2010-11 financial year, mainly on spending and establishing a survey unit and a resource centre which is needed. [Interjections.]