Chairperson, national Minister and Deputy Minister of Tourism, I also notice the Minister of Police, members of the NCOP and ladies and gentlemen, tourism has been confirmed as one of the cornerstones of the Northern Cape's economic development strategy.
Similar to international understanding, the value of tourism cannot be underestimated as it serves as a vehicle to achieve provincial government's priorities of job creation, poverty reduction and economic transformation.
A vision and a policy for tourism in the Northern Cape exist and are based on the contribution that the sector makes towards the social, economic and cultural growth of our province. Sustainable tourism growth and job creation therefore remain at the forefront of our minds, and the Northern Cape province will continue to make meaningful investment in the industry to ensure that the ultimate principles, as outlined in the tourism White Paper, are achieved. These principles, enshrined in the tourism White Paper, relate to the fact that tourism as a sector is government-led, private sector-driven and community-based.
The Northern Cape, with its breathtaking landscapes - I take this from Limpopo! - rugged mountains, endless flatlands, indigenous cultures of the Khoisan and Nama people and undulating dunes, has a lot to offer with regard to extreme tourism. The province therefore positions itself as an extreme tourism destination to satisfy the taste buds of adrenalin junkies around the world.
Through proper planning and organisation we will ensure that these extreme tourism enthusiasts cry out for more extreme sport, nature and cultural experiences.
To mention but a few, as most of you might be aware by now, the province will be hosting the world's best professional skateboarders who will come together in Kimberley from 30 September to 2 October 2011 to compete in the lucrative Maloof Money Cup international skateboarding championships. To echo the words of our Premier Hazel Jenkins: For the first time in the history of the event, the Maloof Money Cup will go beyond the shores of America to the African continent and more specifically right here in Kimberley, South Africa.
Entitled "Skateboarding for Hope" the championship aims to promote a positive and active lifestyle for the youth, thus contributing to education and the building of healthy communities. The Northern Cape province will become the hub for South African skateboarding enthusiasts, as we will be the home of state-of-the-art skateboarding to which none in the country can be compared. I think we can agree that this will be the second World Cup of 2010.
Another signature event to position the Northern Cape as an extreme destination is the Bloodhound Supersonic Car, which is an attempt to break the world land speed record of 1 000 km per hour. An annual wheels festival will be convened in the province and will attract both domestic and international participation in a luxury and exotic car rally.
Benefits accrued to the province, with regard to the Bloodhound Supersonic Car, include innovative research and exposing Northern Cape learners to the fields of aerodynamics, computation, fluid dynamics, material technology, composite manufacturing and sustainable high-technology engineering.
I believe there are also invitations nationally for other provinces to take part in such a programme, and therefore it will benefit the people of the different provinces.
The Northern Cape has recently completed its provincial tourism events management strategy. The main objective of the strategy is to increase awareness of the province as a tourist destination. Its second objective is to increase tourism volumes, while its third objective seeks to improve seasonality and geographic spread and spend of tourism income throughout the province.
With regard to sustainable tourism, ladies and gentleman, the development thereof and job creation remain at the forefront of our minds. The Northern Cape province will therefore continue to assist tourism entrepreneurs to market their products through viable and sustainable tourism practices that create the opportunity for visitors to experience the heart and soul of the province.
The provincial government will continue to invest in product development, enterprise support, training, marketing, infrastructure and environment management to ensure access to quality consumption of tourism products for visitors coming to the province.
Among the major impediments to tourism growth in the Northern Cape is air access. The tourism sector has the potential to experience growth as a result of increased air services. Air services make arrivals possible for both domestic and international tourists to the country and in this case to the province, which is a long-haul destination.
The value of tourism supports a wide range of tourism-related businesses and thus achieves government's priorities of job creation, poverty reduction and economic growth. The Northern Cape's geographic isolation, vastness and widely dispersed population density present a major challenge to the development and growth of its tourism sector.
Competitive aviation access is critical to the Northern Cape's tourism growth potential. The province has therefore seen the need to develop a tourism passenger airlift strategy. As the primary purpose of air access is to stimulate visitor arrivals, the overarching strategy is thus defined as a growth strategy that intends to provide for an increase in air access, which might result in an increase in the number of tourists in the province. In essence, this strategy has a circular effect, which means that an increase in air access stimulates an increase in tourist numbers.
Chair, let me pause and just cite an example, which I think South Africa can learn from. In America, in the 1980s, they had a system to support the domestic growth with regard to tourism where they had seasonal air tickets valid for about three months. A person could travel anywhere in the country to a destinationof his or her choice, stay overnight there and travel somewhere else the next day.
If we are serious in this country we would include the country as a whole and all provinces in development and job creation, and I think that might be a superb example with which to experiment. We can even take it - after what was said in the speeches of the Minister and the Deputy Minister - to the Southern African countries. There will then be such an idea where you buy a ticket and can travel throughout Southern Africa to different states or countries.
The purpose of this strategy is to provide direction and guidance, and in this case for the development of passenger air access into and within the province. The main purpose of the strategy is not to develop transport, in this case aviation transport, but to use air access to stimulate tourism demand into the province.
Therefore, as a province we say there is a need for very good relationships between the Departments of Transport and Tourism, because in a way they work hand in glove.
At one stage in our province we had a meeting with Airports Company South Africa, ACSA, because the province can rightfully complain about their services. It seems as if air traffic and the relevant services are neglected and we would like to put on record that from the province's side we did do something about it. We need the support of the national government to get away from the various obstacles that we might experience.
There is a range of additional challenges confronting the Northern Cape tourism sector. Significantly, among these are changing consumer patterns towards shorter holidays and a growing tendency to choose destinations closer to home. These trends, in particular, present significant challenges for the long-haul destinations, such as South Africa, and require effective marketing approaches, as well as adequate and efficient air services to ensure that the market share is not eroded.
Our marketing efforts will focus on building consumer preference and providing access to a wide range of experiences, while international marketing will focus on building awareness of the Northern Cape as a tourism destination.
In conclusion, the province is hard at work to ensure the growth of the tourism sector, as we have taken a conscious decision to confirm it as one of the key pillars on which our economy should grow.
We commit ourselves, as a provincial government, to continue to invest in this sector and to ensure that the people of the province form an integral part of these sectors both as participants and consumers of tourism services.
We will not succeed alone in growing this tourism sector, but will require the valuable and sought-after assistance of the private sector, and of local, national and provincial governments. The integration of efforts among tourism stakeholders and partners is crucial and valuable to the growth of the tourism sector. I thank you. [Applause.]