Johannesburg - Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom spent Monday morning walking from one historical site in Soweto to the next with a group of matric pupils from previously disadvantaged schools.
The excited group visited, among others, the Hector Pieterson memorial and Nelson Mandela’s house, before having lunch at Kliptown’s Soweto Hotel.
Hanekom told The Star that they used Human Rights Day as an opportunity to expose the 36 pupils to tourism sites that they may not otherwise have had access to.
This was part of a programme the department was developing to make tourist venues more accessible to ordinary South Africans, especially school pupils.
“When all of us are paying attention to the significance of Human Rights Day, we’re coming in from a slightly different angle. The angle is creating opportunity for everyone to experience where we came from and start the discussion about where we want to go,” he said.
Hanekom said while the tourism industry played a vital role in contributing to the country’s economy, the social value of tourism was as important. “The connection of people to each other, the discovery component of it, the cultural exchanges, the lasting friendships are important.”
He said the department, along with SA Tourism and the Department of Education, was developing tourism packages.
“Our dream is that every South African should have an opportunity to go to some of these iconic places. The tourism package is not just about the beaches and safari experiences, but heritage tourism, cultural tourism, liberation tourism, every museum, every art gallery,” he said.
“Obviously, these places have to generate their own revenue - and we’re very confident that we’re going to get increased numbers of tourists visiting our country and they will be people paying for these facilities.
“But we have to create opportunities for those who don’t have as much money to be able to go to the botanical garden or up Table Mountain or to Robben Island.”
The department was in talks with product owners who could contribute to the tourism package. “For example, the Table Mountain cable car, on your birthday you can take a free trip up the mountain. So for somebody who comes from a less fortunate, lower-income family, at least on their birthday month they can do that.”
The Star