Ntshona was addressing stakeholders and members of the media at SAT’s head office in Sandton. He spoke about this growth saying it must be inclusive, otherwise it does not count. “While growth must be inclusive, at the same time, inclusivity without growth is no good either, and in both instances, we will then have failed to achieve our mandate. But if we facilitate inclusive economies through growth and investment, jobs will be created.”
Currently, tourism contributes nine percent to the GDP of the country. “We want this to be much more. We realise that it is part of our responsibility to pick up where the minerals resources sector, that we have traditionally relied on so heavily, has fallen off. The country’s economy needs to be diversified if we are to grow it.”
Tourism plays a key role here because of the ripple effect of the industry. “Tourism is an awesome space precisely because it stimulates so many industries. When a tourist lands, they need banking services, transport, infrastructure, accommodation… from the eggs they eat for breakfast to the taxi and roads they use, the tourism ecosystem is massive.”
This is not just for the case for international tourists, but also for domestic travel. “We know that the economy is tight and we have to fight for the disposable income of a consumer. Does a consumer travel locally or buy a mobile phone? This is what we are grappling with. Therefore, we have to make the case for tourism to the people of South Africa.”
To achieve this, he says a culture of traveling among South Africans must be created. “We need to increase the extent of our domestic culture of travelling and instill a sense of curiosity among our citizens to want to see more of our country because the more we travel the more we bring about prosperity to all areas. It is proven that a strong domestic tourism sector is the foundation of a strong international tourism sector”
He points out the power of tourism using the city of Paris, where tourists outnumber the number of people living in the city. “The result is the infrastructure of the city far exceeds the needs of the locals. That is what we want. Paris is a powerhouse when it comes to tourism because it is resilient to a crisis and this is what we also need to emulate.”
However, to achieve this goal SAT will need to collaborate and work with the private sector. “We have a limited budget but unlimited needs and wants,” he admits.
Innovation and technology can play a role in facilitating this. “By using big data, we can make intelligent decisions going forward. While we know when tourists enter the country and leave it, we do not know what they do or buy while they are here. The private sector, such as banks and credit card divisions can assist us with this.”
Collaboration will also be key in going forward to achieve SAT’s goal. Marketing ourselves internationally is a costly exercise and SAT can only invest in 10% of the countries it wishes to. “However through our embassies and consulates – which are spread all over the world - we have a network where we appear front and central. The question now is how do we leverage this?”
South Africa is competing against other countries and it is a long-haul destination, so it important that our product is the best. “We have to deliver a memorable experience to tourists and this required quality assurance from grading to standards that are consistent across all channels from food to accommodation.”
He adds that SAT is currently aligning its vision with the industry as well as going through its own internal processes.
