Carla Bernardo
African News Agency
THE government’s response to the flare up of xenophobic attacks in South Africa ensured that the tourism sector was not affected, Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom said yesterday.
“I recently met with the president of the World Travel and Tourism Council, who said we are sending out the right messages,” said Hanekom.
Hanekom was briefing media in Cape Town ahead of his department’s budget vote later yesterday and he discussed the implications of xenophobia on the sector, the effects of load shedding, and the negative impact of new visa regulations on incoming tourists.
“If we sustain our efforts and if we combat any xenophobia that may rear its head, we will get through this,” said Hanekom.
Hanekom added that at a recent tourism indaba, he had engaged with over 20 of his African counterparts. He said: “We will be visiting each of these African states to strengthen our relations.”
Accompanying Hanekom was Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa, who added to Hanekom’s answer on the effects of xenophobia, saying the department and the government would be running activities throughout Africa Month to make South Africa’s position on xenophobia evident across the continent.
“We are not xenophobic and we will show that we are Africa and that our country is welcoming to all nations of the world,” said Xasa.
Tackling the question of the effects of load shedding on the tourism sector, both Xasa and Hanekom said it was too early for the department to have any official measurements, but that negative effects were expected.
“It is a no-brainer that load shedding will have a significant effect on the tourism industry. For example, when load shedding happens it is usually when a restaurant owner is opening shop and ready to cook his first meal,” said Hanekom.
He said that countering the effects of load shedding and the strain on the electricity supply in general was part of the motivation for retrofitting state-owned tourism sites with renewable energy sources. One such example was the department’s pilot project on Robben Island, where electricity generation would be changed from diesel energy to solar power.
Further details on retrofitting and the pilot project, which would be concluded by the end of the year, were to be provided in Hanekom’s budget vote later in the day.
He said that based on the last six months’ worth of tourism statistics, the introduction of new visa regulations was a concern for the department.
“We have seen that over the last six months, there have been negative effects on tourism from countries that require visas to South Africa,” he explained.
Hanekom added that the discussion about the impact of the new regulations was happening at an interdepartmental level.
“It is a concern and it is not something we want to sweep under the carpet.”