Agb Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb Adjunkminister, agb lede, ek weet die agb Visser kom van die Wes-Kaap, maar ek wil hom net herinner die persoon wat toerisme in die Wes-Kaap op die kaart geplaas het, was agb Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk toe hy nog die premier van die Wes-Kaap was. Toerisme is nie deur die DA op die kaart geplaas nie; dit was die agb Minister wat dit daar geplaas het.
Toerisme in Suid-Afrika bied 'n wonderlike geleentheid vir vernuftige entrepreneurs. Daar is baie kanse in die toerismebedryf om benut te word en ek dink nie Cope kan dit benut nie, alhoewel hulle beweer dat hulle die alternatief vir die regerende party is. Hulle moet maar aanhou droom, want dit is 'n droom wat nie waar sal word nie.
Voorsitter, Pieter wat op die Kaapse Vlakte woon en 'n minibus het, het 'n idee om dit vir hom te laat werk. Hy wil oorsese toeriste daarmee rondneem, en hulle besienswaardighede wys. Hy wil hulle vir 'n vleisbraai nooi, en hulle onthaal met 'n braai oor 'n wingerdhoutvuur, en hulle iets van die ware karakter van Suid-Afrika wys. Dan wil hy hulle in sy gesin se spaarkamer laat slaap en die dollars en euro's sien inrol. Maar Pieter het nie veel om te verloor as hy dit wil probeer nie. Hy het nie die wreld se geld nodig om 'n onderneming te begin nie, wat uitsonderlik is, want gewoonlik het 'n mens baie geld nodig om 'n nuwe besigheid op die been te bring. Hy kan sy energie ingooi in 'n lewenskragtige industrie wat lankal besig is om een van ons land se belangrikste industrie te word en wat allerhande nuwe geleenthede vir entrepreneurs bied.
Daar is baie geleenthede in hierdie nog betreklik nuwe mark om planne te kan uitvoer en daardie behoefte te bevredig. Vir die persoon wat bereid is om dit te doen, wag daar heelwat winste en hy of sy kan werklik voordeel daaruit trek. Ek wil h die DA moet luister.
Voorsitter, die internasionale toerismemark sorg jaarliks vir miljoene rande en dis nie verniet dat nagenoeg een uit elke tien werkers op aarde in 'n onderneming is wat daarmee verband hou nie. Suid-Afrikaners, soos Pieter op die Kaapse Vlakte, wil ook 'n deel hiervan opeis. Om jou in toerisme te begewe, is harde werk, maar ons mense het nog nooit geskrik vir harde werk nie. Die ANC is nie bang vir harde werk nie. Dit is net die DA en Cope wat daarvoor skrik.
Toeriste word amptelik van gewone besoekers onderskei in die sin dat hulle langer as een nag bly. Toerisme is vandag moontlik die grootste bedryf in die wreld en is ook verantwoordelik vir die grootste vloei van mense oor die oppervlak van die aarde. Dit is daarom belangrik om dit te benut as 'n instrument om verandering op ons planeet teweeg te bring. Dit is een van die mees sigbare manifestasies van globalisering. Reisigers uit ander lande verteenwoordig ander gemeenskappe, omgewings en ekonomie, wat probleme kan veroorsaak. Terselfdertyd is toerisme 'n bron van groot pret en genot vir miljoene mense, en bring dit mense van verskillende wrelddele en kulture bymekaar. Luister, DA en Cope.
Suid-Afrika as 'n toerismebestemming bied die wreld in een land, van die Kaapse fynbos tot by die Hoveld se grasvelde, tot by KwaZulu-Natal se piesangplantasies. Ons het 'n skouspelagtige en uiteenlopende natuurskoon, iets waarmee ander lande nie kan spog nie. Ook het ons land so 'n bonte verskeidenheid van kulture en herkomste, soveel so dat Suid-Afrikaners as die renboognasie bekend geraak het.
Voorsitter, daar is 'n noodsaaklikheid om hierdie toerisme volhoubaar te bevorder. Volhoubare toerisme kan beskryf word as 'n proses wat ontwikkeling bevorder sonder dat ons ons bronne uitput. Daar is groot kommer oor die opkomende entrepreneurs in die toerismebedryf. Toerisme moet bevorder word met inagneming van die onderlinge afhanklikheid van toerisme en die omgewing, en van toerisme en kultuurerfenis. Dit is van wesenlike belang dat die toerismebeleid goed geformuleer moet word.
Ons moet nie bekommerd wees dat Suid-Afrika se gewildheid as toerismebestemming gaan afneem nie, want ons land is gelukkig dat ons een van die voorste toeristebestemmings in die wreld is. Om die waarheid te s, daar is aanduidings dat ons in die toekoms nog van krag tot krag kan gaan, en die uitdaging is om dit binne 'n volhoubare raamwerk te laat gebeur. Ons besef dat daar 'n aantal negatiewe aspekte is, soos veiligheid, wat sal moet verander, asook Suid-Afrikaners se ingesteldheid teenoor besoekers en geldwisseling. Alle denkende Suid-Afrikaners sal saamstem dat ons land vroer of later sy regmatige plek in die galery van die wreld se top toerismebestemmings moet inneem. Mense met blink idees, soos ek dink Cope en die DA nie het nie, moet inspring en werk maak van hul planne. Die ANC steun hierdie begrotingspos. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr F ADAMS: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, I know the hon Visser comes from the Western Cape, but I just want to remind him that it was Minister Martinus van Schalkwyk who put tourism on the map in the Western Cape when he was still the premier of the Western Cape. Tourism was not put on the map by the DA; it was because of the hon Minister's efforts.
Tourism in South Africa provides a wonderful opportunity for ingenious entrepreneurs. There are a lot of opportunities that can be taken advantage of in the tourism industry, and I don't think Cope can utilise it, although they claim to be the alternative to the ruling party. They will have to continue dreaming, because this is a dream that will not become a reality.
Chairperson, Pieter who lives on the Cape Flats and owns a minibus has an idea to make it work for him. He wants to use it to take overseas tourists on sightseeing trips. He wants to invite them over for braaivleis and treat them to a braai on a fire made from vine logs, showing them something about the true character of South Africa. Then he wants them to sleep in his family's spare room while watching the dollars and euros rolling in. But Pieter does not have a lot to lose if he were to try this. He would not need a huge sum of money to start a business, which is exceptional, as one would usually need a lot of money to establish a new business. He would be able to focus all his energy on a vigorous industry, which has become, for some time now, one of our country's most important industries offering various new opportunities to entrepreneurs.
There are many opportunities in this still fairly new market to execute plans and to satisfy that need. A lot of profit awaits the person who is willing to do this, and he or she could really benefit from it. I want the DA to listen.
Chairperson, the international tourism market is bringing in millions of rands each year and there's a reason why nearly one out of every ten employees on earth is working in an industry that is related to this. South Africans, like Pieter on the Cape Flats, also want to claim a part of this. To pursue a profession in tourism is hard work, but our people have never stood back for hard work. The ANC does not shy away from hard work. It's only the DA and Cope that shies away.
By definition, tourists are set apart from normal visitors on the grounds that they stay longer than one night. Tourism is probably the biggest industry in the world today and accounts for the biggest flow of people across the earth. It is thus important to utilise it as an instrument to bring about change on our planet. It is one of the most visible manifestations of globalisation. Travellers from other countries represent other communities, environments and economies, which could cause problems. At the same time, tourism is a source of great fun and pleasure for millions of people, and it brings together people of different cultures and parts of the world. Listen, DA and Cope.
As a tourist destination, South Africa is offering the world in one country, from the fynbos in the Cape to the grasslands of the Highveld and KwaZulu-Natal's banana plantations. We have a natural beauty that is both spectacular and diverse, something that other countries are not able to show off. Our country also has a colourful variety of cultures and origins, so much so that South Africans have become known as the rainbow nation.
Chairperson, it is necessary to promote this tourism in a sustainable manner. Sustainable tourism can be described as a process that promotes development without exhausting our resources. There is great concern regarding the emerging entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. Tourism must be promoted by taking into account the interdependence of tourism and the environment, and of tourism and cultural heritage. It is of the utmost importance that tourism policies are well formulated.
We should not be worried that South Africa's popularity as a tourist destination is going to decline, because our country is privileged to be one of the foremost tourist destinations in the world. In fact, there are indications that we can still go from strength to strength in future, and the challenge is to make this possible within a sustainable framework.
We realise that there are a number of negative aspects, such as concerns about safety, which need to change, as well as South Africans' attitudes towards visitors and money exchange. All sentient South Africans will agree that our country needs to take its rightful place in the gallery of the world's top tourist destinations sooner or later. People with clever ideas, which I don't think Cope and the DA have, need to take action and implement on their plans. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you.]