Published on : Thursday, May 3, 2018
Experts warn that soon Cape Town could be the first major city worldwide to run out of water.
South African Tourism, the country’s national tourism marketing body, is of the opinion that the current water crisis may actually help position the country as a global leader in sustainable tourism practices, including the sensible use of water.
Mr. Sisa Ntshona, the chief executive officer of SA Tourism, insists that “Cape Town and its many attractions and hotels remain very much open for business. The difference is that people need to be more frugal with water usage, which is the new normal in the industry.”
Mr. Ntshona says that reports of tourists cancelling trips to Cape Town due to the water crisis are mostly untrustworthy, given the lack of corroborating official data.
Cape Town is a global leader in business tourism, according to ratings published by the UNWTO. According to Statistics South Africa, a national statistical service, Cape Town is Africa’s leading tourist destination, with some 3.5 million people passing through its entry ports in August 2017 alone.
The South African tourism sector supports about 716,000 jobs, which is about 4.6% of the country’s total employment, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The sector attracts foreign direct investment, supporting small businesses.
In 2016, more than 10 million international tourists visited South Africa, contributing around R402.2 billion ($27.3 billion) to the economy. 2017 figures indicate a 2.5% increase. This year too holds a lot of promise for the SA tourism industry.
Tags: south african tourism