Chairperson, Ministers, departmental staff, Deputy Ministers, hon members, you know, Deputy Minister, that we are so good. I hope that the DA and Cope - and I see the member of Cope has gone to report to I don't know which leader, Shilowa or Lekota. So, it is a pity.
Chairperson, tourism is one of the world's major industries, if not the largest. In South Africa, we are still growing our industry to reach its full potential in order to tap into this money spinner, swell local opportunities and create jobs to fight poverty and to showcase our land and the splendour and diversity of our region. In order to have the edge in our industry, we have to think afresh about what we do and do it better. In this regard, we welcome the Minister's initiative to develop new products and to grow the industry.
Ons kan baie leer by ander lande, maar ons het soveel eiesoortighede wat ons kan bemark om Suid-Afrika 'n voorkeurbestemming te maak. Daarom moet ons eers ons eie sterkpunte uitbou en bemarkbaar verpak sodat ons land vir talle reisigers meer aantreklik gemaak kan word. So word ons 'n leier in die bedryf en 'n trekpleister. Ons het in die afgelope jare gesien dat geleentheidstoerisme toeneem. Ons het van ekotoerisme gehoor en ook kultuurbelewenisse. Toe het Suid-Afrika avontuurlustiges begin trek. Daarmee saam het mediese toeriste toegeneem, mense wie vir vakansies en operasies hierheen kom. Ons het al ons deel van konferensietoerisme gekry en gaan binnekort weer die krag van sporttoerisme sien wanneer die spanne, personeel en ondersteuners van die beste sokkerspanne op aarde hierheen kom om mee te ding in die wreld se grootste skouspel, die Fifa Sokkerwreldbekertoernooi. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[We can learn a lot from other countries, but we have our own distinctive character which could be marketed to make South Africa a preferred destination. For this reason we should, firstly, consolidate our strengths and package it in a way that is marketable so that our country would be more attractive to a greater number of travellers. In this way we will become a leader in the industry and a draw-card.
Over the past few years we have seen that event tourism has increased. We have heard of ecotourism and also cultural experiences. This was when South Africa started attracting adventure seekers. At the same time, medical tourism has also increased, people who come here for holidays and medical procedures. We have already acquired our section of conference tourism and will shortly experience the power of sports tourism when the teams, staff and supporters of the best soccer teams in the world come here to compete in the world's most spectacular event, the Fifa Soccer World Cup Tournament.]
We are proud and agree that it is our time. It is a great chance to occupy, for a whole month, prime television space and have the attention of billions of people across the globe. They will feed on soccer, but they will also take note that this pageant takes place in our wonderful country. I thank the Minister, his deputy, the department, our tourism agency South African Tourism, and all other role-players for their hard work to market South Africa at the highest level and, especially, for focusing beyond the soccer spectacle and look towards the future of South African tourism as a whole.
In this regard, we are looking forward to receiving your proposals to review the existing legal framework for tourism, Minister. We also welcome on board the new Director-General, Mr Kingsley Makhubela. I would also like to congratulate our team, led by Minister Van Schalkwyk, for outperforming most international markets in 2009. I hope the hon Winde listens to this, Chair. Together with the increase in the number of arrivals and growth in income, they have achieved this, even in difficult economic times. This fact, together with the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup boost, is a firm base from which to grow our industry.
We know how vulnerable tourism is to negative perceptions. That is out of our control, specifically the DA's perceptions. In light of this, we wish to ask our Minister to also engage his Cabinet colleagues to formulate a strategy to deal with the World Health Organisation's precautionary advice to tourists, including soccer players and fans, to avoid mosquito bites and contact with raw meat, in order to avoid infection by Rift Valley Fever germs. Please deal with this swiftly. Hopefully, we will have a cold spell soon to kill the carrier of this disease before the bulk of the soccer crowds arrive.
Voorsitter, ek het nog 'n paar gedagtes oor die bevordering en uitbou van ons bedryf hier in Suid-Afrika. Die Minister en sy span is deeglik bewus daarvan dat streekstoerisme 'n al hoe belangriker faktor geword het vir ons bedryf. Ons sal graag wil sien hoe bure en ander besoekers van ons vasteland ons meer besoek. Ons sal egter ook opnuut moet kyk na ons binnelandse toerisme. Al is dit net vir vakansies, is dit 'n uiters belangrike onderdeel van ons toerisme-landskap en behoort ons ook te gaan kyk na hoe kleiner dorpies en afgele streke meer baat kan vind. Ons het juwele op die platteland, in al ons provinsies, wat wag om besoek te word.
Ek weet die Minister en sy span werk gereeld en goed saam met die provinsies, asook munisipale toerisme-instellings. Van my kant, in die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies, sal ek wil sien dat hierdie samewerking uitgebou word, moontlik in die wetsontwerp geformaliseer sal word, groter kordinering sal bring, en dat dit 'n kragtige instrument sal word om toerisme op 'n nuwe pad te plaas. Ons is ook bekommerd oor toutrekkery of tydrowende verwarring tussen sodanige entiteite, soos op die "Eiland" Wes- Kaap, waar eers die Stad Kaapstad en toe die Wes-Kaapse regering 'n aktiewe rol begin speel het wat voorkom of dit verlamming in die hand kan werk.
Daar kan nie gapings in ons bemarkingsnet ontstaan of onnodige oorvleueling geduld word nie. Ons glo die Minister gee leiding en sal ons mettertyd inlig oor watter uitweg gevolg sal word. Die Minister en sy span verstaan dat ons in hierdie Raad 'n besondere plaaslike en provinsiale belangstelling het. Ons kan dalk kyk na 'n toerisme-skou wat om die beurt, of op 'n aflos-grondslag, by provinsies sal aandoen. Die Indaba-skou in Durban is 'n instelling wat internasionaal bekend is, maar dit kan aangevul word met meer streekspesifieke produkte om kleiner ondernemers ook 'n uitstalvenster te bied. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, I have a few more ideas with regard to promoting and expanding our industry here in South Africa. The Minister and his team are very much aware that regional tourism is increasingly becoming a very important factor in our industry. We would like to see that our neighbours, and other visitors from our continent, visit us more often. However, we will once again have to look at domestic tourism. Even if it is just for holidays, it is an extremely important component of our tourism landscape and we should also explore how smaller towns and remote areas can benefit more. We have gems in the rural areas in all our provinces, which are waiting to be explored.
I know the Minister and his team are working regularly and effectively with the provinces, as well as municipal institutions. From my side, in the National Council of Provinces, I would like to see that this co-operation is extended, possibly formulated into the Bill, resulting in better co- ordination, and that this will become a powerful tool, which will propel tourism in a new direction. We are also concerned about the squabbling or time-consuming confusion among such entities, like on the "Island" Western Cape where, first, the City of Cape Town and then the Western Cape government started playing a more active role, which appears to have promoted paralysis.
The development of gaps in our marketing system or unnecessary overlapping shouldn't be tolerated. We believe that the Minister is providing guidance and will in time inform us as to what option will be followed. The Minister and his team understand that we, who are here in this Council, have a particular interest both locally and provincially. Maybe we can consider a tourism exhibition which could alternate between the provinces. The Indaba Expo in Durban is an initiative that has become known internationally, but this can be supplemented with more regionally specific products to showcase smaller entrepreneurs.
If I may, I would like to suggest a reality show, for both television and radio, where awareness amongst our young people will be created about service delivery in the industry. They may compete to prepare and plan products where they can cater, clean, and conduct programmes to treat visitors. This would also serve as an educational medium to raise the bar in South African tourism.
Secondly, I would like to see more young people without jobs being involved in the industry as volunteers. A kind of youth service could be devised where youngsters can work for a stipend to gain skills and experience or even to build up credits in different activities under mentors, something which may finally help them to either find employment or to encourage entrepreneurs to create new products.
Let us take hands and build our country and its economy through tourism. We support this Budget Vote and wish the Minister and his team, as well as Bafana Bafana Godspeed.
Chairperson, I want to conclude by saying that - the member from the Northern Cape has left - it is very easy to come here and say things about certain other things, but if my memory serves me, I recall that Treasury has just given R100 million to the Northern Cape, which is meant for upliftment. So, I don't know where the member gets his facts, but sometimes when you have difficulty in terms of leadership, and he is talking about cadre deployment, I think the cadre deployment starts in Cope. We don't know whether Shilowa wants to deploy Lekota or Lekota deploy Shilowa. We support this Budget Vote, and I thank you, Chair.