Hospitality industry body Fedhasa says poor infrastructure, weak growth stifle tourism

By Charmaine Ndlela

Hospitality industry body Fedhasa has urged government to step up infrastructure investment, particularly in rural road networks, and to intensify the country’s international marketing push, saying that weak transport links and tougher competition are weighing on growth.

Fedhasa national chairperson Brett Tungay said the association’s top priority was to lobby for higher capital spending on infrastructure in areas that depended on tourism.

He said South Africa also needed a more effective, coordinated international marketing strategy, driven through closer public-private cooperation.

“We need a comprehensive marketing plan that works not only at provincial level but nationally as well. It needs to be effective and actually drive tourist numbers into South Africa,” he said.

Tungay said Fedhasa had not claimed tourism activity declined over the December festive season, but that results fell short of expectations after the group forecast a pickup in occupancy.

“We originally forecast a 5% to