South Africans should go on holiday locally, says Hanekom
THE sharp deterioration in the rand had not only enhanced SA’s attractiveness as a holiday destination for foreign tourists but had also made overseas travel so expensive for South Africans that they might look for domestic alternatives, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom suggested on Friday.South African Tourism has often reported that domestic tourism has not reached the levels hoped for.The minister told Parliament’s portfolio committee on tourism that his department would be intensifying its efforts to encourage it, now that foreign travel had been put beyond the reach of many people.Mr Hanekom said 2015 was not an easy year for tourism but had ended on a positive note, and he was optimistic about prospects for the year ahead, especially once the effect of the Cabinet decision on visa regulations was realised.With the decline in commodity prices and the harsh effect this has had on the mining industry, the government was looking to the tourism sector as a driver of growth and job cr...
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