Tourism indaba probes youth job opportunities

Tourism in all its elements was firmly on the table at a two-day Municipal Development Tourism Conference hosted in Richards Bay last week by the City of uMhlathuze.

Delegates from municipalities as far afield as Nelson Mandela Bay, Cape Town, Newcastle, Utrecht, Dundee and Phalaborwa were enlightened and empowered by guest speakers, networking and workshops, covering a wide variety of tourism industry topics.

These included:

• Community empowerment through digital pathways
• Local tourism economies
• Opportunities for stokvels to develop local tourism
• Marketing and brand development strategies
• Sustainability of State-owned tourism assets
• Reservation systems for local accommodation establishments
• Tourism development infrastructure projects
• Support for SMEs in the hospitality industry
• Grading Council accreditation support
• Marine tourism opportunities.

The pressing challenge of unemployment was the concern of speaker Jaya Naidoo, senior lecturer at the Durban University of Technology and GM of FEDHASA East Coast.

He emphasised the urgent need to equip the youth and unemployed graduates of uMhlathuze and surrounding communities with practical, future-focused skills.

“With soaring unemployment and limited pathways to opportunity, many young people are left without the tools needed to succeed in an evolving economy,” said Naidoo.

His presentation explored strategic interventions to unlock this potential – through targeted skills development programmes, meaningful partnerships with local industry and educational institutions, and inclusive, community-driven youth initiatives.

Key areas of focus included vocational training, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and life skills – critical components in bridging the gap between education and employment.

“Empowering youth with the right skills is not just an investment in individuals – it’s a commitment to the long-term economic and social growth of our region,” Naidoo stated.

“We must prepare young people not just to find jobs, but to create them.”

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