World Travel & Tourism Council CEO David Scowsill: South Africa is leading the world in many areas of its Travel & Tourism development

LONDON, 2015-2-18 — /Travel PR News/ — “South Africa is leading the world in many areas of its Travel & Tourism development and President Zuma’s commitment to reform visa regulations should enable the country to maximise the industry’s potential for economic growth and social advancement”, says David Scowsill, President & CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council, during a trip to the country.

Travel & Tourism contributes nearly 10% of GDP and over 1.4 million jobs to the South African economy, making a bigger employer than banking, mining and the telecommunications. The industry also fosters national unity, pride and identity; and has played a fundamental role in social advancement over the last two decades.

In his State of the Nation address, on 12 February 2015, President Jacob Zuma committed to prioritise the review of visa regulations “to strike a balance between national security and growth in tourism”, following changes implemented last year which were having a detrimental impact on the country’s Travel & Tourism industry.

Mr Scowsill will tell a gathering of senior public and private-sector representatives in Johannesburg today:

“For many years, South Africa has had a near unrivalled commitment to the development of its Travel & Tourism industry, with the industry represented at the highest levels of Government and with policies encouraging long-term, sustainable growth that is socially-inclusive and addresses social economic development challenges at the same time.”

“Growth doesn’t happen by itself and South Africa has done so much right in recognising our industry’s role in providing the environment for social and economic advancement. President Zuma’s swift commitment to review recent changes to visa regulations is yet another example of how the country acts decisively to maximise the economic and social potential of our industry. The private sector has spoken loudly in encouraging this review as these were the companies experiencing the detrimental impacts to the immediate changes that were imposed.  We stand in full support of this review.”

“According to WTTC forecasts, Travel & Tourism in South Africa is due to add almost 350,000 jobs in the next ten years. This seems a long way off, but it is vital that Government and the private sector act now to ensure that the policies are in place to create proactive and careful talent management in our industry. Our research shows that too many countries in the world are not implementing the right policies, programmes and partnerships to generate the appropriate skills and knowledge to support future growth. South Africa has a fantastic opportunity to be a world leader in one of the world’s great industries.”

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Note to Editors:

The World Travel & Tourism Council is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of Travel & Tourism. It promotes sustainable growth for the sector, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, to drive exports and to generate prosperity. WTTC’s annual Global Summit brings together over 1,000 delegates to discuss the opportunities, challenges and issues facing the Travel & Tourism, while it’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognise the industry’s power to be a positive force in sustainability.

The sector is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. In 2013 Travel & Tourism accounted for 266 million jobs (1 in 11 of all jobs in the world) and contributed 9.5% of global GDP (nearly US$7 trillion). For more than 20 years, the World Travel & Tourism Council has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses. These Members bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making, raising awareness of the importance of Travel & Tourism as an economic generator of prosperity.

For more information on WTTC: www.wttc.org

For images of WTTC: https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldtravelandtourismcouncil/

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