Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane revealed four things domestic travellers want in a SA getaway during a panel discussion on the road ahead for the South African tourism sector at the Time Square Sun Studios in Pretoria recently.
Kubayi-Ngubane said that since the country moved to level 2, there has been an “upsurge in demand driven by domestic travellers”.
She said: “We believe with proper messaging and targeted marketing the domestic demand can reignite the sector and put the tourism industry on a growth trajectory and put our recovery on firm footing.
“Correspondingly, owners of establishments, that is the supply side of the market, have to be adaptive and meet the needs of the domestic,” she said.
Kubayi-Ngubane shared what domestic travellers wanted in a SA holiday. These include:
*They want to visit attractions and tourism activities that comply with strict adherence to the health and safety protocols set by government,
*They are yearning to travel to escape the lockdown and discover previously undiscovered local attractions with a renewed appreciation of local culture, history and nature.
*They are yearning large open spaces with adventures.
*They are also looking for affordable travel packages in which they can take their families and friends and have memorable experiences.
Kubayi-Ngubane also detailed why government is yet to open international borders.
She said: “Our next step is to work towards the reopening of international travel. We have started to analyse our key global markets and understand more about international travellers who visit the country.
“If we do open our borders, we are unsure whether international travellers will visit."
She said that once South Africa moves away from being among the top 10 high-risk destinations for Covid-19, it’s easier for her to communicate with other countries to promote South Africa as a country to visit.