The Department of Tourism (DoT) recently gazetted its White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa 2024 – which proposes some massive interventions aimed at boosting tourism, including a specialised police unit for incidents involving tourists.
South Africa’s tourism industry is critical to the country’s economy. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism’s direct and indirect contribution to the country’s GDP was 8.2% in 2023.
In terms of job creation, according to WTTC statistics, South Africa’s tourism sector employed 1.46 million people in 2023 and the sector’s contribution is expected to grow to 1.7 million jobs in 2024.
“Despite its impressive contribution to the South African economy, the tourism sector lags behind relative to its potential,” said Minister Patricia de Lille at the conclusion of the Tourism Policy Review.
In response, the DoT looked to review the 1996 Tourism White Paper.
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