SA Tourism appoints new country manager

"The domestic and SADC markets are extremely important and valuable markets for us," said chief marketing officer Roshene Singh. "South African and SADC tourists contribute billions each year to the national economy and account for the vast majority of tourists in South Africa at any one time."

"Damant brings immense enthusiasm, passion and skill to the task. She has a track record in destination marketing that brims with a variety of experience that she now brings to the task of positioning South Africa as a major leisure destination here at home and in our neighbouring countries," Singh said.

Achieving tourism targets

Her responsibilities include assisting the organisation to achieve the domestic tourism development targets set out in the National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) that was launched in March 2011. The NTSS aims to increase the number of domestic trips from 30.9 million in 2009 to 54 million by 2020.

Damant comes to South African Tourism from Cape Town Routes Unlimited, where she was senior manager of leisure marketing, a post she held for six years. Whilst there, she focussed on the domestic, regional and Middle East markets, and on attracting holidaymakers to the Western Cape.

Damant has a National Diploma in Public Management from Technikon SA, a certificate in Travel and Tourism from ML Sultan College, and a certificate in leadership development from Organisational Interface Management.