South Africa’s move to level 1 allows for the countries tourism sector to open up and exploring what the country offers has been put high on the list.
As the tourism industry recovers, South African’s and international visitors gear up to start exploring the country’s attractions, province at a time. The path to recovery began with this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations hosted at Maropeng’s Cradle of Humankind.
Under the theme, ‘Rural Development and Tourism’, the focus is to drive development towards rural communities through tourism. A plan by the department of Tourism to use domestic tourism market to reignite the sector, by driving tourism to lesser-visited rural communities in all nine provinces.
“As we navigate a path to recovery, and gradually re-open our borders to safely welcome international visitors, we urge South Africans to travel and explore their country responsibly,” said Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.
The department of Tourism looks to continue to embrace South Africa’s rich culture and heritage as borders gradually re-open and prioritise safety as it welcomes international visitors.
“Our authentic heritage and cultural experiences have been a draw card for international visitors for many years. Although a large number of employment opportunities have in the past been driven by international tourist arrivals, we believe that these jobs, and those yet to be created, will be sustained by the renewed strength of our domestic tourism markets.”