MTPA to go all out for tourism Indaba
Indaba 2015 is a priority for MTPA's newly appointed Head of Tourism
MBOMBELA – There have been signs of a possible slowdown in tourism for the first three months of 2015.
This industry has been advised to pull out all the stops while preparing for Indaba 2015, which will take place in two weeks’ time in Durban.
This is according to the Tourism Business Index of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
International travel and tourism organisations will meet industry stakeholders in South Africa from May 9 to 11 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre in Durban.
The newly appointed head of tourism at Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), Mr Xolani Mthethwa, warned, “This does not come as a surprise to us, given the challenges in the operating environment, including the introduction of the new immigration regulations. The situation has been further exacerbated by the current uncertainties over energy supply by Eskom. The recent spate of xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in various parts of the country are also likely to add fuel to the fire, impacting on South Africa’s reputation as an attractive tourist destination.”
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government via its website, issued an amber travel alert, stating, “Residents intending to visit the country or who are already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people.”
Amber is the lowest form of advisory issued, with red advisories requiring travel-plan adjustments and black advisories indicating a need to avoid all travel to South Africa.
The United Kingdom and Australia have also added warnings of the recent xenophobic violence taking place in Johannesburg, Durban and other parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
The third country that has issued warning to tourists to be careful when visiting South Africa, is Germany.
Mthethwa advised the exhibitors from the province to be prepared and not to take chances.
Mthethwa only joined the MTPA at the beginning of March, from the tourism forum in Limpopo province.
He advised the potential exhibitors that Mpumalanga had the potential to be a premier international and domestic tourism destination.
The province’s tourism jewels among others included the Kruger National Park which offered two million hectares of flora and fauna, the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest in the world and evergreen, the Makhonjwa mountain range in Barberton with rock formations dating back 3,5 billion years, the mining village of Pilgrim’s Rest and majestic waterfalls and cultural villages.
