Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu is calling for South Africans to take advantage of the Sho’t Left Travel Week taking place from 5-11 September 2022 and comes with discounted rates up to 50% off tour packages as well as tourism-related products and services.
These deals must be bought during this week but can be redeemed at any other time depending on the partner’s terms and conditions.
“We have sent out an invitation to the world to come and ‘Live Again’ with us, and I’d like to extend this invitation to you, to go out and book your next Sho’t Left, go out and enjoy your wondrous country,” said the Minister.
The Minister was speaking during the launch of Tourism Month, at !Khwa ttu, in the Western Cape on 4 September, where she lauded the sector for the incredible 2022 tourism performance, thus far.
In the first half of the year, 15.2 million domestic trips were taken, marking a 114% increase when compared to the same period in 2021. This is way above the same period in 2019, which saw 8.6 million domestic trips taken.
According to the Minister, the good performance is testament to the strides South Africa’s tourism sector has made to reinvent itself and to once again draw visitors into the country.
“This year’s Tourism Month celebrations are incredibly special because we are recognising how far we have come as a sector, in spite of everything we have been through in the last few years,” said Sisulu.
Sisulu said the sector is also seeing a steady rebound of business events, with South African Tourism having successfully hosted their flagship shows; Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba in person this year.
Tourism Month is in line with South Africa’s vision to ignite inclusive economic growth, sustainable job creation and transformation which are all critical for the industry. Tourism month is a time that the tourism industry places a focused approach on domestic tourism, engaging and collaborating as the greater tourism sector to grow domestic tourism.
Tourism Month is celebrated in the same month that the UN World Tourism Organisation celebrates World Tourism Day, which falls on September 27 each year. The theme for this year is “Rethinking Tourism’, compelling the sector to reimagine itself, following the pandemic.
“This theme is fitting, as the world over, the tourism sector is being reimagined, following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This theme is also symbolic because as a sector, the pandemic required us to step back, relook the industry as we know it, and ultimately, see how we rebuild it,” Sisulu said.
