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At the Tourism Transformation Summit on Tuesday (October 31), Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des van Rooyen, encouraged traditional leaders to seek out tourism opportunities in their areas.
The Minister said that without support from traditional leaders on traditional land, tourism development in those areas would never succeed. “Traditional leaders are the custodians of communal land with land ownership being a critical component for economic transformation. This asset provides communities with a strategic advantage for economic development, in particular tourism development,” explained van Rooyen.
He urged rural communities to take advantage of opportunities that do not need any additional skills and infrastructure, for example, developing supply chains in food production (vegetables), flowers for hotels and establishing laundry services.
Another suggestion was the creation of rural community tourism destinations or hubs, which will act as gateways to unique and authentic experiences in different communities.
“In many traditional communities, there are annual cultural festivals with traditional and cultural activities that include songs and dances on display,” van Rooyen said. These events can be elevated to a standard and quality that will attract tourists and be beneficial to the communities.
Source: tourismupdate.co.za