With big players working together more and more, attracting visitors to South Africa can yield ever greater rewards.
South Africa’s hospitality and tourism industries have a critical role to play in boosting economic development. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the contribution of travel and tourism to South Africa’s GDP is expected to grow by 7.6% every year over the next decade, playing a major role in driving the country’s economic recovery.
In a land so beautiful and varied, the opportunity to influence lives and livelihoods is significant. While this opportunity is largely being leveraged, there is still room for growth, which is why more industry players are coming together to invest in this untapped potential.
Help and be helped
Information sharing, open dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving are critical in effecting change. Strong lines of communication help industry players identify common areas of concern and develop and implement relevant and sustainable solutions. While relationships have always existed between different organisations in hospitality and tourism and between the private and public sectors, a lot of work has historically happened in silos.
Today, however, collaboration within the sectors is on the rise, with relevant organisations and parties taking the chance to have their say. Input from small artisanal suppliers, rural local municipalities, large hospitality providers, big industry associations, and everyone in between is encouraged. Sector leaders are striving to dissolve boundaries and bureaucratic red tape so that they can foster a culture of partnership and collective action.
Stay with the crowd
Historically, hospitality and tourism providers tended to operate independently from the communities of which they were a part. This was especially the case in remote and rural areas, where, sadly, they had the potential to exert the greatest impact. Fortunately, this has changed dramatically in the democratic era and will continue to be a priority going forward.
Organisations have integrated corporate social investment initiatives into their modus operandi and now work closely with community structures, donate to worthwhile causes, and partner with local non-governmental organisations to make a difference.
Of course, this work leads naturally into another key area: job creation.
Job creation
Unemployment is one of the South African government’s largest priorities, and every sector has a responsibility to play its role in addressing it. Approximately 4.5% of South Africa’s population is employed in the tourism industry, many of whom support several family members and dependents.
Hospitality and tourism are in a unique position to assist people in some of the most remote regions in South Africa, particularly in areas where local economies are changing as sectors become automated or as mines close. If companies come together to train, upskill, and hire people to perform critical functions in hospitality, tourism, and beyond, they could start to move the needle on unemployment in the country.
Text | Chris Godenir
Photography | DC Studio
Chris Godenir is General Manager of Dream Hotels and Resorts’ Peninsula All-Suite Hotel in Cape Town.
For more information, go to dreamresorts.co.za.
