Derek Hanekom calls for free movement of Africans to lift tourism
Intra-continental tourism from Africa’s rapidly growing economies and growing middle class is an opportunity begging to be exploited, he says
The free movement of people everywhere in Africa, the easing or dropping of visa requirements and the deregulation of air services will be key in driving the growth of the tourism sector on the continent, tourism minister Derek Hanekom said on Thursday. Speaking at the Africa Travel Indaba in Durban, Hanekom said all countries on the continent had the potential for domestic tourism growth. “Intra-continental tourism from Africa’s rapidly growing economies and growing middle class is an opportunity begging to be exploited. We need improved collaborative efforts between our countries to achieve this,” he said. In his state of the nation address in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that SA was looking to double its international tourist arrivals from 10.5-million to 21-million by 2030. SA has the largest travel and tourism sector in Africa, contributing about R426bn to the local economy in 2018. According to research by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the sector is respon...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.