Research on the Performance of the Services Sector
National Support/Development Programmes
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- 4.12.2. Tourism Learnership Project (TLP)
- 4.12.3. Poverty Relief Programme
- 4.12.4. Development Bank of South Africa
- 4.12.5. Industrial Development Corporation Tourism Business Unit
- 4. 13. Provincial Policy Overview
- 4.13.8. North West Province
4.12. National Support/Development ProgrammesThere are a number of national support programmes that provide both financial and non-financial support to SMMEs in South Africa. The following section outlines the most relevant programmes for tourism businesses. 4.12.1. Tourism Support Programme (TSP)The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) has a sub programme of the Enterprise Investment Programme, called the Tourism Support Programme (TSP). The TSP is a cash grant incentive that supports the development of tourism enterprises. Local and foreign owned tourism entities can apply for cash grants of up to 30% on qualifying investment costs in furniture, commercial vehicles, buildings and land, and equipment for establishing a new tourism facility or expanding an existing tourism facility. These cash grants are payable over a three year period. 4.12.2. Tourism Learnership Project (TLP)The Tourism Leanership Programme (TLP) is a training programme which is co funded by the Department of Labour and the Tourism, Hospitality, Education and Sport Training Authority (THETA). The objective of this programme is to improve training and skills in the tourism and hospitality sector. 4.12.3. Poverty Relief ProgrammeThe Poverty Relief Programme was established by the government to reduce and ultimately eradicate poverty in South Africa. The tourism section of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is allocated with funding to support tourism projects. The objective of the programme is to use funding to develop projects that will create jobs, develop new tourism products, and provide training and ensure sustainability of the project. 4.12.4. Development Bank of South AfricaThe Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) supports South African tourism by investing in infrastructure and financing development in partnership with public and private sectors. The DBSA provides support in the form of equity, loans and grants to both private and public sector clients. The following types of projects are supported by the DBSA:
4.12.5. Industrial Development Corporation Tourism Business UnitThe IDC Tourism Business Unit offers financial assistance to accommodation business and capital intensive tourism projects that will assist in the growth of the tourism industry. Assistance is provided in the form of loans and the business must provide an equity contribution of 40%. Furthermore projects must be economically viable to receive assistance from the IDC Tourism Business Unit. 4.13. Provincial Policy OverviewWithin the broad tourism sector of South Africa, each of the nine provinces are responsible for the promotion and marketing of their own region as a domestic and foreign tourist destination. This marketing and promotion is done in participation with the local government, private sector and stakeholders of each region to ensure that growth in the tourism sector trickles down to the local individuals in the form of skills training and job creation, especially amongst previously disadvantaged communities. Additionally, in order for tourism to be sustainable, each province has ensured that their tourism growth strategies integrate a strong eco-tourism and environmental impact awareness25. In the following sections, the growth strategies of the provinces are discussed. 4.13.1. Western CapeThe main goals of the Western Cape Tourism strategies aim to review tourism routes, improve road signage, develop tourism gateways and conclude and implement mega projects to facilitate the growth of both international and domestic tourism markets to increase leisure and business tourism and events in the province. The tourism sector in the Western Cape (WC) has become the fastest growing and largest job creating sector of the economic sectors in the province. In effect the WC has been identified as the province that has the most developed tourism industry in the country. It provides 1 in every 10 employees with a tourism related job and contributes R 25 billion to the WC economy annually. Due to its economic contribution to the province as well as the country, the WC Government has initiated ongoing research projects through the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (WCDEDAT) in order to address any potential tourism needs and future growth opportunities26. Although the WC tourism sector has been identified as the fastest growing and most developed tourism sector in the country, a number of barriers have been identified that inhibit growth in this sector, namely: Non-existent integrated tourism marketing model, strategy and structure for the province. Insignificant positioning of the destination as a dynamic business tourism destination. Insignificant positioning of the destination as a vibrant leisure tourism destination. Lack of dedicated centralised funding and resources to develop and market events. Limited and unrealised new tourism infrastructure, niche markets, routes and tourism products. New businesses and tourism products are not spread as widely as possible, both geographically and seasonally. Inadequate innovative tourism products and marketing processes. Quality of skills and customer service need to match global standards and be maintained. Weak linkages between tourism and the commercial arts and entertainment sectors (craft, film, music, visual arts and performing arts)27. Western Cape Annual Performance Plan 2011/2012 To address these barriers, three strategies were introduced in the WCDEDAT’s Annual Performance Plan for 2011/2012. The main focus of Strategy 1 is tourism development. The following interventions have been identified for Strategy 1: Development of tourism niche markets areas such as cruise liner tourism, health tourism, sport and mega event tourism, and culture and heritage tourism; b) development of new and existing tourism routes; and Development of tourism infrastructure, sites, attractions and facilities. The main focus of Strategy 2 is tourism destination global competitiveness. This strategy is a new area and consists of two interventions, namely innovation, mainly methods to attract new tourists and product development technology Lastly, the focus of Strategy 3 is tourism support services in the form of: tourism safety and support, in order to counter any negative perceptions of safety in the WC; tourism quality assurance, by means of assessment and re-assessment of service accommodation, self-catering services, and tour operators; Tourism greening, that will be incorporated in quality assessments; universal accessibility, for the inclusion of the disabled tourist; tourism road signage; Locals provided with tourism destination exposure i.e. provides access to communities who do not usually take part in tourism experiences28. Additionally, WCDEDAT has developed two more condensed and long-term strategies, aimed at tourism development in the WC, namely Micro-Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) and DEDAT 5 Year WC Strategic Plan 2010/15. These strategies aim to stimulate the growth of both international and domestic markets and increase both business and leisure tourism and events. Business tourism is particularly important to the WC as the province has been named the number one African convention destination and was ranked 37th on the global list by the International Congress and Convention Association’s Global Ranking Report. In 2011 alone, the convention industry was expected to generate R 324, 8 million in revenue. Leisure tourism also plays an important role in the WC tourism sector, as the province hosts a number of cultural and sporting events, such as The Cape Town International Jazz Festival which generated R 430 million for the province. Both strategies highlight the importance of skills development in the tourism sector, a key element for sustainability. Western Cape Support/Development Programmes The Western Cape Government offers tourism grants to SMMEs in the tourism industry to develop business networks, and to support community development projects. Training is also provided for tour operators and accommodation facility owners. Tour guides are also provided with assistance in developing business plans and receive after care and monitoring for their businesses. A tourism help desk has been established to assist emerging entrepreneurs with business development and planning in the province. 4.13.2. KwaZulu-NatalThe main goals of the tourism department are to promote and increase the marketing of tourism products and service to tourists. Tourism in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) has always played an important role in the economy as it contributes 10% to KZN’s GDP. However, since the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the promotion and marketing of KZN as a sports destination has become the focus of the tourism marketing strategies. The province’s 2010 website, which was also the first of its kind informed visitors on provincial specific facts regarding the soccer event. The website has become a platform through which retail and other tourism companies obtain business, and the province hopes it will continue to attract tourists to the province over years to come29. KZN Department of Sports and Recreation Another goal of the Department of Sports and Recreation is to attract new sporting events since KZN already has the sporting infrastructure in place (with the Moses Mabhida Stadium as center-piece) and has proven its ability to host big events in recent years. Sporting events that have showcased the province’s ability to manage and host big events are: the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and the Confederations Cup Soccer in 2009; FIFA World Cup South Africa in 2010; and FINA World Swimming Championships in 2011. Furthermore the Durban FIFA Fan Fest was attended by 766 412 people during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Other annual events that have been successfully hosted by the province include the Comrades Marathon, the Durban July and the Dusi Canoe Marathon. Apart from sport, KZN also has well-developed, diverse, and popular tourism assets, around which their tourist strategies are developed. One of KZN’s goals is to market province as niche market destination for cruise tours, educational tours, cultural tourism, charters and plane trips, golf, health and hunting all year round.
Another tourism strategy that has been planned for 2012 is the Beach Tourism Policy; the objective of this strategy is to get municipalities along the coast of KZN to participate in a joint marketing mechanism that will ultimately promote the province as a whole to international tourists30. KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism: Strategic Tourism Plan The key objectives of KZNDEDAT strategic plan for tourism are to transform and develop the sector with the following interventions: Ensuring tourism product development promotes the packaging of tourism activities and experiences so that the province is the destination of choice for South Africa and in this way increase investment in the sector which will result in the creation of sustainable job opportunities. Work with all stakeholders in the sector to develop a Provincial Tourism Master Plan, which will drive tourism development, growth and skills development. Develop and implement the KZN Provincial Tourism White Paper and ensure capacity building takes place where necessary to facilitate implementation. Strengthen the tourism development service offering for SMMEs, co-operatives and emerging previously disadvantaged tourism entrepreneurs and expand service delivery to SMME across the province to drive tourism growth and development. Finalize and implement the Provincial Tourism Transformation Plan. Monitor the rollout of the Tourism BEE Scorecard Review the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Act and all other relevant legislation and regulations for alignment with the National Governments Medium Term Economic Framework and to eliminate any hurdles blocking tourism growth and development and the subsequent job creation31.
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal supports tourism business development in the province by facilitating tourism entrepreneur development and training. Training is provided to tour operators and tour guides in skills training, feasibility studies and various business planning skills and strategies. Furthermore assistance is provided in business marketing and developing business linkages for SMMEs. 4.13.3. GautengThe Gauteng tourism strategies aim to stimulate job creation, strengthen safety and security in the province and promote Gauteng as a smart and creative province, through the use of investment, marketing, and the required skilled workforce3233. Gauteng Tourism Strategy Tourism, as an economic sector, plays an important role in facilitating growth and transformation of the economy of Gauteng. A key strategy that promotes growth in the tourism sector is the identification of required tourism-related skills that are required and that can be developed in workshop interventions. The objective of this strategy is to alleviate poverty in the province and promote economic growth. During the Gauteng tourism summit in 2011, a Gauteng specific tourism strategy was created as an adaption of the national tourism sector strategy. This strategy aims to create 225 000 sustainable tourism-related jobs by 2015. Gauteng Support/Development Programmes Gauteng Tourism Authority The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) offers assistance to small businesses in the tourism industry through facilitating skills training and providing funding. The objectives of the GTA assistance are to:
4.13.4. Eastern CapeThe main goal set out for tourism in the EC, is to realize its tourism potential and drive tourism growth and development in this province. This will be achieved through:
Eastern Cape Provincial Marketing Strategy A provincial marketing strategy has been developed to promote strategic partnerships with key marketing partners, promote the province at relevant trade shows and exhibitions and engage in targeted marketing with important target markets. Tourism product development aims to improve the product offering of the province and also to increase investment potential. The products are diverse and are intended to assist in the upliftment of rural communities in the province. The following high priority potential tourism products have been identified for development:
Human resource development has been identified as a key driver to improving the provinces tourism sector competitiveness, as a skilled workforce is a competitive workforce. The master plan identifies that training happens in a haphazard manner and a tourism skills audit is needed so that the province may have a coordinated approach to human resource development. This links directly to the skills planning activities of THETA and due to this synergy the province and THETA have agreed in principle to work together on the tourism skills audit. The province would also like to develop and promote skills development in the province especially within workplaces and aims to develop, adopt and implement a comprehensive skills development strategy and structure for the province. Development of tourism relevant infrastructure has been prioritized and transformation of the tourism sector has been identified as being imperative to contribute to the economic transformation of both the province and tourism sector, and it allows for communities to perceive tourism as being beneficial and valuable. Tourism research and information has been identified by the province as being critical, as research in the tourism sector is limited and the lack of research regarding the tourism sector and more specifically Tourism HRD has hampered accurate skills planning and effective skills development. Tourism safety and security will be improved as 54.1% of tourists to the province who reported having a bad experience while in the province identified crime as the biggest issue. Management of the tourism sector has been identified as a critical area and identifies that those responsible for the management of the tourism sector do not have the necessary skills for the sector to be able to grow to reach its full potential, including both public and private managers. The strategy entails tourism capacity building initiatives for all managers as well as management related training for those managers requiring it3536. Eastern Cape Support/Development Programmes The Eastern Cape Tourism Board offers training, marketing, and assistance with exhibitions and business linkages to SMMEs in the tourism industry. The assistance is provided in the form of non-financial support to SMMEs. 4.13.5. Free StateThe province’s focus is developing a nature-based tourism sector in the rural areas of the province and capitalizes on the abundance of scenic beauty in the province. The rural areas surrounding the established Golden Gate tourist attraction can be further developed and enhance the offering. The development initiatives are listed as follows; Develop tourism products as part of focused tourism routes in rural areas such as the Maloti Route. The development of routes within routes has been identified as means of exploiting the existing fractured tourism attractions within the province to generate exciting and new tourism products. A super route linking all the tourism attractions of the Eastern Free State, by means of combining hiking, quad biking, horseback riding and river rafting trails is an example such a route. Tourism routes must have a core and ancillary focus, therefore a route such as the Maloti Route would have a nature-based tourism focus but subsidiary routes feeding off this main route with cultural and historical focus will be developed. Tourism development options in the province include previously disadvantaged individuals and their communities and will be used as means of uplifting the rural poor. This is not limited to BBBEE opportunities only but also includes creating employment opportunities for these individuals and their communities.Development of the existing adventure-based weekend and day-trip market of the Vaal River and Parys area. The conferencing and event sub-sector in the province and particularly Bloemfontein will be developed as the central location within the country is ideal for this market and it is further envisaged that while Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg are all competing for international conferences, Bloemfontein should exploit its central position and focus on staging national conferences. The development of the conference industry in Bloemfontein could also have a knock-on effect for tourism in the province as more business travelers will be exposed to the province and might return with their families for leisure travel. The province also hosts the Macufe Festival and the Volksblad Kunstefees; however these are primarily aimed at the domestic market in the province and need to be developed to the same level as the National Arts Festival or North Sea Jazz Festival to attract visitors from across the country to the province. The sport, recreation and fitness sub-sector has also been identified as an area with huge tourism development potential. The province and Bloemfontein in particular have a multitude of excellent sporting venues, including world class drug testing facility at the University of the Free State that has been approved and accredited by the International Olympic Committee since 1995 and has been conducting thousands of doping test ever since. Therefore there is huge sports tourism potential within the province that is made even more attractive due to its central location37. Free State Support/Development Programmes The Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism in the Free State provide non-financial support to SMMEs in the tourism sector through:
4.13.6. LimpopoThe focus of the province is on improving education and skills, providing essential infrastructure and Building capacity in technology. Furthermore the goals of the province are to open access to capital markets and to improve institutional efficiency in specific destinations with high tourism potential with regards to the following tourism sub-clusters:
Limpopo Support/Development Programmes The Department of Economic Development and Tourism in Limpopo has established a section 21 company, a non-financial support information hub and a SMME Development Agency to provide support to tourism businesses in the province. Furthermore, the Limpopo Tourism Authority was established to assist SMMEs in the tourism industry with marketing, exhibitions, training and partnering with the TEP. 4.13.7. MpumalangaThe focus of the province’s tourism development is to provide efficient and effective administration and strategic support service to the sector and to facilitate support and development of business enterprises in the sector. Furthermore the province has set out the following objectives and goals for tourism development:
Mpumalanga Support/Development Programmes The Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism in Mpumalanga provides non-financial support to SMMEs in the tourism industry. The support is provided in the following ways:
4.13.8. North West ProvinceThe NW province aims to stimulate growth in its tourism sector and allow it to reach its full potential through tourism policy and strategy; tourism marketing; tourism development; tourism information management; and institution arrangements. By addressing these key strategic objectives it aims to diversify its tourism sector through the promotion of cultural tourism, entertainment and hospitality to international tourists40. The North West 2014 Business Road Map The North West Parks and Tourism Board adopted a new strategy in 2004 which is called the "2014 Business Road Map". The key objectives include the following:
North West Province Support/Development Programmes The Product Development unit of the North West Parks and Tourism Board focuses on tourism development in the area and engages with the local communities to:
4.13.9. Northern CapeThe tourism marketing focus for the province is to market the area and build a strong market intelligence base and develop a distinct and recognizable provincial brand. Specifically, the Northern Cape Tourism Authority’s strategy is to promote the Northern Cape as a destination for Extreme Escapism, to enjoy the open spaces and extreme topography and features of the province. This strategy has a strong focus on attracting extreme events such as the Maloof Skateboard Cup, land speed record attempts, paragliding, rafting, etc. Tourism product development to package the existing tourism products in the province and to allow for the development of new attractions to the province. Tourism spatial development so that the tourism sector in the province be developed around strong tourism clusters with existing tourism products which will allow consumers to access high tourism potential areas. Transformation in tourism. The province is actively seeking to promote compliance with the Tourism Sector Codes of Good Practice and in this way drive the transformation of its tourism sector4243. Northern Cape Support/Development Programmes The Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism in the Northern Cape provides non-financial support to SMMEs in the tourism industry. The support to SMMEs includes the following:
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