SA needs to sell itself to travelers — which means taking on crime
The government doesn’t seem to have a handle on crime as it pertains to tourism, so citizens and, especially, the private sector has to get involved
The SA tourism industry has seen growth in the past few years, even during tough economic times. However, for the first time in a long period, the industry saw a decline of 5% in terms of international tourists, as shown in statistics released last month by Stat SA. This begs the question as to what has happened to cause such a significant drop in numbers.
One factor that is of concern to the tourism industry is crime, as well as the recent xenophobic violence. Both issues garnered a great deal of media attention locally and globally. It is thus possible that potential tourists are opting for destinations they perceive to be safer. Both the industry and other stakeholders need to address these issues very strongly so we can improve the image of SA as a tourist destination for prospective visitors the world over. ..
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