National campaign launched to galvanise support for tourism

Source: Tourism Update, 17/05/2017

The ‘I Do Tourism’ campaign will remind South Africans that tourism is
everyone’s business, says SA Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona.
South African Tourism this week launched the ‘I Do Tourism’ (IDT)
campaign at Indaba.


The initiative seeks to remind South Africans of the importance of the
tourism industry and the role they can play as advocates for South
Africa and for tourism.


Opening Indaba on Tuesday, President Jacob Zuma endorsed the campaign,
highlighting tourism’s growing importance to the economy when other
sectors are not performing as well.


The purpose of the campaign, according to SA Tourism CEO, Sisa
Ntshona, is to show the economic and social value of tourism in South
Africa. “Tourism has a ripple effect,” Ntshona notes. “Each direct
permanent tourism job opportunity that is created can have multiple
spin-offs for transport, agriculture and other sectors.”


I Do Tourism will bring this message to the attention of the South
African public by reminding them of tourism’s impact on the economy.


The campaign will also showcase members of the industry, and
provide a space for them to share their stories.


In addition to inspiring potential domestic tourists, SA Tourism is
also aiming to motivate industry members to keep up their good work,
and to remind government and other stakeholders of the importance of
supporting the industry.


According to SA Tourism, while tourism contributes 3% to the nation’s
economy and has created around 500 000 jobs, the majority of South
Africans remain unaware of how their lives are affected when
international travellers decide to visit the country; or even how
their own holiday may help to better the lives of other South
Africans. The organisation emphasised that, for many South Africans,
tourism remained inaccessible and something that was “for other
people” and therefore had little bearing on their day-to-day
lives.


“This is precisely the attitude we hope to change through I Do
Tourism,” Ntshona explains. “We aim to remind South Africans that
tourism is everyone’s business because all South Africans benefit
through and from tourism. Tourism adds value to the lives of all South
Africans in a range of ways. As South Africans, we all have something
to gain from the growth and development of our tourism industry. That
is why our involvement in rallying behind tourism is vitally
important. The continued success of tourism benefits us all.”


The campaign will also seek to draw attention to the fact that the
impact of tourism is not industry-specific and that tourism
contributes to the growth of sectors ranging from agriculture to
transport. In this way, the campaign will emphasise that tourism is
integral to the growth and development of the country and it is
therefore the duty of every South African to do what they can to
support tourism. And that by doing so, they are contributing to the
country’s economy.


“Ultimately, I Do Tourism seeks to make South Africans want to get
behind tourism by seizing the economic opportunities within the
tourism industry or by simply playing their part by making visitors
feel welcome and providing assistance where necessary, whether that’s
by giving directions or recommending a local attraction. If tourism
wins, we all win,” Ntshona said.