“These projects will contribute immensely towards our aim of boosting our economy through Cultural Tourism”
TOURISM contributed R1.336 billion to the Northern Cape provincial economy in 2018.
Delivering his State of the Province Address yesterday, Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, said the income from tourism was generated on the back of 542 769 trips taken to the Northern Cape by South African and international visitors.
“The national Department of Tourism and the Department of Environmental Affairs ramped up its support to the provincial government making it possible to commence with exciting projects and create fertile grounds for employment creation and improvement of tourism infrastructure,” Saul added.
He added that the provincial tourist routes will be enhanced to support tourism transformation and more specifically the beneficiation of black-owned tourism enterprises.
“The importance of business tourism and events will be elevated to accelerate the growth in arrivals in the Province and to encourage Northern Cape residents to explore their own Province.”
Saul also announced that R4 million would be spent on boosting cultural tourism.
“In our endeavor to reposition the Arts and Culture and the Province will unleash three key projects in collaboration with the Cultural, Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA).”
These projects include the establishment and launch of a provincial music hub, the establishment of a provincial craft shop which will be based at the Mayibuye Centre, and the operationalisation of the Northern Cape Theatre to ensure that it provides a packaged approach in terms of productions for national and international stages.
“These projects will contribute immensely towards our aim of boosting our economy through Cultural Tourism,” Saul stated.
