regional tourism organisation of southern africa

International Climate & Tourism Partners

RETOSA: Regional Tourism Organisation Of Southern Africa

PLAN YOUR TRIP INTO SOUTHERN AFRICA

• Southern Africa offers a diversity of travel destinations – with everything from the definitive safari to exquisite hospitality, adrenalin-pumping adventure and unique cuisine. The 15 countries on show at RETOSA offer the best of Africa.
• From diving in the depths of Lake Malawi to conquering Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, you can be sure that a holiday in Southern Africa is one you won’t forget. Discover the secrets of ancient cultures in Lesotho and Swaziland, watch the sun set from an Angolan beach bar, or bathe in the romance of Mauritius and Madagascar palm-fringed beaches. If a safari is more your style, you will be spoilt for choice – why not track the Big Five on an elephant – back safari in Botswana, or safari in the sky with a hot air balloon in South Africa? Need more action? Namibia’s desert is a must for those keen to try sand boarding or dune buggy boarding, or even for those who simply want to take in one of the world’s most starkly beautiful landscapes. Whether in Zambia or Zimbabwe, you will be absorbed by one of the most spectacular wonders of the world – Victoria Falls. Wherever you decide to go, you will encounter the warmth and spirit of the African people. Let your journey begin…
• Welcome to Southern Africa!  One of the most beautiful, exotic and diverse destinations in the world where you can do all this and more. Whether your interest lies in adventure, animals, culture or cuisine, the Southern African region, with its varied tapestry of landscapes, has something for every traveller. The Southern African region comprising of Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, offers unbeatable holiday experiences. From indulging in mountains of peri-peri prawns on a golden Mozambican beach to trailing gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Imagine falling asleep to the sounds of the bush, the roar of the hungry lion, or the high-pitched giggle of a hyena echoing in your ears.   Lazing by the azure blue waters of a tropical island paradise. Even better, exploring the hustle and bustle of a traditional market, where cultures long gone live on in the customs of today. Experiencing some of the wonders of the world or visiting some world heritage sites.

Neighbouring countries: DRC, Zambia, Namibia and Republic of Congo Major activities: Beaches and water sports in Luanda; game viewing, bird watching and river cruises in the Kissama National Park; climbing the Tunda-Vala volcanic fissure; driving the Leba Pass; photographing the dunes in the Iona National Park; and many more.

Neighbouring countries: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia Major activities: Water safaris, walking and elephant-back safaris, and game-viewing by aircraft/helicopter in the Okavango Delta; 4×4 wilderness travelling in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve; and many more MALAWI

Neighbouring countries: Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique Major activities: Kayaking, snorkelling and scuba-diving off the pristine beaches of Lake Malawi; horse-back safaris in Nyika National Park; exploring the Chongoni rock art; climbing Mount Mulanje; and many more

Major activities: Snorkelling, scuba diving and ‘undersea strolls’; water sports such as kayaking, jet skiing, parasailing and windsurfing; hiking in the Black River Gorges National Park; visiting Le Morne Brabant; and many more

Neighbouring countries: South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi Major activities: Kayaking, sailing, dhow trips and snorkelling; visiting the Bazaruto Marine Park and the historical Ilha de Mozambique; game viewing and bird watching in the Gorongosa National Park; and many more

Neighbouring countries: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola Major activities: Taking a balloon ride over the dunes of Sossusvlei; hiking in the Fish River Canyon; flying over the the Skeleton Coast; taking a safari in the Etosha National Park; and many more

Major activities: Glass-bottom boating; water sports such as snorkelling, sailing or surfing; island-hopping; visiting natural reserves and marine parks; horse-ridin SWAZILAND

Neighbouring countries: South Africa and Mozambique Major activities: Visiting the Swazi Cultural Village and the King Sobhuza II Memorial Park; horse-back safaris and guided walks in the Hlane Royal National Park; hiking in the The Malolotja Nature Reserve; and many more

Neighbouring countries: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique Major activities: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro; visiting Zanzibar; game viewing and bird watching in the Serengeti; visiting the Ngorogoro Crater; taking a boat trip on Lake Victoria; and many more.

Neighbouring countries: Tanzania, the DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola Major activities: Scenic flights over the Victoria Falls; swimming in the Devil’s Pool above the falls; white-water rafting and other water sports; river cruises; elephant-back rides; walking with lions, game drives in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park; walking safaris in the South Luangwa National Park; and many more

Neighbouring countries: Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Angola, Republic of Congo and Tanzania Major activities: Cruising on the Congo River; sight-seeing in Kinshasha; visiting Lake Kivu and the volcanoes of the Virunga mountain range; boating, rafting or hiking through the rainforest; visiting the mountain gorillas; and many more

Neighbouring countries: Surrounded by South Africa Major activities: Climbing Thaba Bosiu; shopping in Maseru; game viewing, bird watching and pony trekking in the Sehlabathebe National Park; enjoying water sports at the Katse Dam; skiing in the Maloti Mountains; and many more

http://www.retosa.co.za/

Kwakye Donkor

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New beginning for the Regional Tourism Organisation of South Africa (RETOSA)

The Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) today approved the strategic plan which is aimed at addressing challenges faced by the region in developing and growing tourism at its 42nd Board meeting in George in the Western Cape.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation report states that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region receives about two percent of global tourists on average instead of the expected seven percent. The lack of growth has been attributed to constraints which include the under-exploitation of the rich tourism potential, lack of proper infrastructure development, price competitiveness and non aggressive marketing of the region.

RETOSA is a body responsible for the promotion and marketing of tourism in 14 southern African countries and its mandate is to leverage tourism as a major economic driver for the region. The participating SADC countries are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The board meeting reviewed the repositioning of RETOSA as a semi-autonomous body and its significance for tourism in southern Africa.

RETOSA Chair, who is the Director-General for Tourism in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ms Berthe Akatshi Osako, said the repositioning effectively provides RETOSA with the opportunity to transform the promotion of growth and development of tourism in the region. She added that the region can realise sustainable return on investment on its marketing efforts and market share of the global tourism arrivals through a shared vision, improved infrastructure development and collaborative and aggressive marketing.

Chairperson Osaka’s views were endorsed by the SADC Director for Infrastructure Services at SADC Secretariat, Mr Remmy Makumbe who said this perspective fulfils the decision of the SADC council to re-brand RETOSA as a vibrant coordinating and lead institution for joint marketing of tourism for the SADC region which can rapidly respond to challenges devoid of bureaucratic tendencies.

Some of the initiatives highlighted in the strategic plan to address challenges in tourism development include, amongst others, the opportunity provided by the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, 2011 All Africa Games in Mozambique, re-launch of the King’s Golf Cup in Swaziland in 2010 and the 50th anniversary in Democratic Republic of Congo. Deputy Director-General from the national Department of Tourism, Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo, said successful tourism depends on the supply of quality products, service excellence and the safety and security of visitors in the region. She also believes that the leverages from the 2010 FIFA World Cup will contribute to achieving the set objectives of the organisation.

Executive Director of RETOSA, Mr Francis Mfune said SADC is a unique tourist destination by virtue of its cultural and natural endowment and the essence of ubuntu. The potential of the region’s tourism product offering is immense and if effectively managed, it will take tourism experiences and arrivals to new heights. The meeting will end tomorrow where delegates will be given an opportunity to explore and experience South Africa’s rich tourism offerings at the Garden Route in the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape.

For more information, please visit: http://www.retosa.co.za /.

Media enquiries can be referred to: Kwakye Donkor Cell: 083 630 4063

Lizzy Suping Cell: 083 758 0553

Issued by: Department of Tourism 21 October 2009

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Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA)

Organisation régionale du tourisme pour l'Afrique australe

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Founded by F-XF2522 - Southern African Development Community (SADC) , on signature of a Charter. Replaces H-XD4582 - Southern Africa Regional Tourism Council (SARTOC) .

Develop tourism effective marketing of the region in collaboration with the public and private sector.

Board, consisting of 1 representative of the public and private sector each, of each SADC Member State.

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Type i classification, un sustainable development goals **.

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UNWTO/RETOSA Joint Programme for Regional Capacity Building in Southern Africa on Tourism Statistics and Tourism Satellite Accounts

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RETOSA and Sustainable Travel International Join Forces in Southern Africa

Partnership to improve lives and livelihoods through travel and tourism

JOHANNESBURG, August 13, 2015 –  The Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) and Sustainable Travel International have announced a leading-edge partnership to drive sustainable tourism development across Southern Africa. The main objective of this partnership is to assist governments, communities and businesses’ efforts to use travel and tourism as a driver for sustainable development across a region where over 72% of young people live in abject poverty.

Through this partnership, RETOSA will become the first organisation on the African continent to endorse and support the aims of the  10 MILLION BETTER  industry-wide campaign, launched by Sustainable Travel International to monitor and scale up social, economic and environmental benefits from travel and tourism, with the goal of demonstrating tangible improvements in the lives of at least 10 million people by 2025.

“It is our mandate as a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution to transform the tourism sector to achieve these goals,” said Simba Mandinyenya, acting Executive Director of RETOSA. “In order to succeed, our member states require tools to better manage tourism development and to be able to track its impacts on environmental quality, livelihoods, education and training, well being, and so forth. Sustainable Travel International is helping to provide those valuable tools.”

“There is a new readiness and urgency to act together,” said Sustainable Travel International’s CEO, Dr. Louise Twining-Ward. “For the first time the tourism sector has a UN Mandate to shift towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns. The time is now for the industry to come together with a clear vision and focus its enormous economic power on solid goals and metrics for improving lives. We are excited about our partnership with RETOSA, and look forward to working together with them to improve lives, promote economic equality and preserve the region’s rich natural resources and cultural traditions.”

About Sustainable Travel International

Sustainable Travel International’s mission is to improve lives and protect places through travel and tourism. A global non-profit and industry thought leader since 2002, Sustainable Travel International has helped communities, hotels, airlines, cruise lines and governments to plan responsibly—to chart their road maps for responsible growth so that they can contribute to the economic and social well-being of people around the globe whose lives and livelihoods depend on the world’s wanderlust.

Many of the world’s most popular travel destinations are threatened by interrelated problems including climate change, overcrowding and unsustainable development. Rather than address these challenges in isolation, Sustainable Travel International is convening like-minded travel and tourism leaders—destinations, companies, NGOs, and academics that are also determined to contribute to the long-term well-being of people and places most impacted by travel and tourism—to improve the lives of at least 10 million people by 2025. To achieve our goal, we are working across industries and geographies on comprehensive and holistic solutions that lead to long-term sustainability and collective impact through regional alliances in the Caribbean and Latin America, the South Pacific and Africa.  Visit us at  https://sustainabletravel.org  to learn more.

About RETOSA

The Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution responsible for tourism growth and development across Angola, Botswana, D R Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The primary objective of RETOSA is to facilitate and promote the development of equitable and ethical tourism throughout the Southern African Region taking due consideration of the overall development of the people, vis-a-vis the Region’s natural and cultural resources. The organization works together with Member States’ Tourism Ministries, Tourism Boards and private sector partners to increase tourist arrivals to the region through sustainable development initiatives, improved regional competitiveness, and effective destination marketing. Visit us at  http://www.retosa.co.za/  to learn more.

• August 13, 2015
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SADC to develop regional tourism programme

SANF 18 no 19  Southern Africa is developing a plan that will guide and coordinate tourism development in the region.

This is in line with a directive made by a joint meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Tourism to the SADC Secretariat in November 2017 to develop a SADC Tourism Programme.

The regional tourism programme is expected to serve as a roadmap for the development of an “ethical tourism industry,” as well as facilitate the removal of barriers to tourism development and growth.

The draft SADC Tourism Programme is set to be finalized this year and once developed the Secretariat will mobilize resources to support its implementation.

The successful implementation of the programme will allow the region to become one of the most preferred destinations in the world, allowing countries to realize better proceeds from their numerous tourist attractions such as the Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe, San rock paintings in Botswana and the absorbing wildlife population in the region.

Creation of a better tourism environment in SADC will present new opportunities for sustainable development, as well as deepen integration as countries will be expected to harmonise their policies and jointly market their attractions.

Globally, tourism is the third largest industry, contributing about 10 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product and offering an estimated 313 million jobs as of December 2017.

However, SADC and the rest of the African continent continue realize limited benefits from its vast tourist attractions due to various factors including restrictive travel policies such as visa systems that requires travellers to the region to apply for a visa each time they enter another country.

To address these challenges and benefit more from tourism, SADC has prioritised tourism as a means of promoting sustainable development.

In 1998, the region developed a Protocol on the Development of Tourism, which aims to encourage cooperation between governments and the private sector through a favourable investment climate that promotes sustainable tourism, preserving the region’s natural and cultural resources.

Other key regional initiatives that provide for a complementary and broad legislative, institutional and programming context for the development of tourism include the:

• Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) – a body responsible for the development of tourism and regional destination marketing across. RETOSA is now under transformation;
• SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement – a legal instrument that commits Member States to promote the conservation of shared wildlife resources through the establishment of trans frontier conservation areas;
• SADC Protocol on Facilitation of Movement of Persons – an instrument that requires Member States to develop policies aimed at the progressive elimination of obstacles to the free movement of capital and labour, goods and services and of the people of the region; and
• SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) – the Tourism Sector Plan of the RIDMP is geared towards achieving enhanced infrastructure development to promote smooth movement of goods, services and people across the region.

The reform of the RETOSA is aimed at transforming the body from being a public organization to a lean, more agile, dynamic and private-sector-driven regional marketing entity.

Established in 1997 as a SADC subsidiary organization, RETOSA was mandated to encourage and assist in the development of tourism in the region and market southern Africa as a single but multi-faceted tourist destination.

However, in a move aimed at strengthening the organisation, SADC Ministers responsible for Tourism in July 2016 approved the organizational transformation of RETOSA to ensure that it focuses more on marketing, leaving tourism policy coordination functions to the SADC Secretariat.

The ministers directed the Secretariat to take advantage of the ongoing restructuring process to establish the Tourism Policy Unit within the SADC Secretariat in order to ensure effective coordination; development, harmonisation and implementation of tourism policy and related issues.

Consequently a Tourism Coordination Unit was established within the SADC Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate.

Therefore, the process to develop a SADC Tourism Programme to guide and coordinate tourism development in the region is a holistic approached aimed at restructuring and developing the tourism industry in southern Africa. SADC Today

Southern African News Features offers a reliable source of regional information and analysis on the Southern African Development Community, and is provided as a service to the SADC region. 

This article may be reproduced with credit to the author and publisher.

SANF is produced by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), which has monitored regional developments since 1985.      Email: [email protected]     

Website and Virtual Library for Southern Africa      www.sardc.net   Knowledge for Development

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Record private sector interest in RETOSA

T T he Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) recently held its 4th Extra-Ordinary Meeting of its Board which saw a record number of Private Sector representatives from the Region in attendance.  

The outgoing Retosa Board members, comprising of Public Sector representatives from Member States in the Region, handed over to the new Retosa Board, which comprises of representatives of the Tourism Authorities and Apex private sector Tourism bodies.  

This new board structure, is a significant milestone in the life of this 20-year old organisation which was recently restructured, with a new value proposition for its key stakeholders, and a new vision which will be achieved through focused marketing and strategic investment.

Following a formal nomination process, Botswana, represented by Ms Lily Rakorong, CEO of HATAB (Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana) was unanimously elected as the new Chairperson of Retosa.

In welcoming the new board members, Dr Sem Shikongo, Chairman of RETOSA and Director of Tourism and Gaming, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Namibia, said “Namibia wishes to thank the SADC countries for all the support they provided during Namibia’s tenure of the past 4 years. We sincerely wish the new board all the best in achieving the renewed mandate and the two key objectives: to increase competitiveness of the Region and, increased and improved global tourism market share for the Region.’

In accepting the baton from the outgoing chair, Ms Rakorong said, “I am humbled for this opportunity to lead a team of very experienced people. My role is just to co-ordinate everyone who plays a key role towards securing the smart partnership between the Region’s private sector players and RETOSA. The SADC governments have now the urgent task to activate the tourism coordinating unit at the SADC Secretariat which is a key requirement for the completion of the RETOSA transformation.”

Ms Rakorong is deputized by Mr MD Maqutu, the CEO of Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation.

“As a member of RETOSA, South African Tourism would like to congratulate the new board led by Ms Lily Rakorong. We look forward to working with RETOSA in forging smart, innovative and pragmatic partnerships that will contribute towards building and growing an economically vibrant and resilient Africa,” says South African Tourism‘s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Sisa Ntshona.  

RETOSA’s revised repositioning strategy aims to move the SADC region share of tourism from its current 2% of global tourist arrivals and receipts respectively to 5 % within the next decade. This new vision is firmly founded on strong partnerships with the private sector operating in the region – a steep departure and a serious shift in paradigm from past practice which had seen more preoccupation with governments or public sector. Intra-Regional Tourism is essential to a thriving tourism economy in Region.’’

Note to the Journalist:   Visit us at http://www.retosa.co.za   to learn more.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mrs Thembi Kunene-Msimang, Executive: Marketing and Communications

Contact numbers: +2711 315 2420/1 or +2711 315 2422/ 083-275-5021

Emails: [email protected]

About RETOSA

The Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution responsible for tourism growth and development as well as marketing across Southern Africa Member States. The primary objective of RETOSA is to facilitate and promote the development of equitable and ethical tourism throughout the Southern African Region taking due consideration of the overall development of the people, vis-a-vis the Region’s natural and cultural resources. The organization works together with Member States’ Tourism Ministries, Tourism Boards and private sector partners to increase tourist arrivals to the region through sustainable development initiatives, improved regional competitiveness, and effective destination marketing.

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RETOSA and Better Tourism Africa team up to promote sustainable tourism in SADC

The Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA)  has partnered with the African Responsible Tourism Awards (ARTA) to encourage  more entries to the awards from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  RETOSA is the SADC body responsible for the destination marketing of the region, which  is made up of 14 amazing countries. The primary objectives of RETOSA are to facilitate and promote the development of equitable and ethical tourism through sustainable initiatives, effective destination marketing, and improved regional competitiveness. For the fourth year running, Wesgro, the official tourism, trade & investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, is the headline sponsor. The aim of the awards is to inspire change in the tourism sector by showcasing examples that tourism providers can learn from. This links perfectly with RETOSA’s objective to grow the capacity among tourism providers to deliver tourism in the SADC region that is sustainable. Thembi Kunene-Msimang, RETOSA’s Chief Executive Officer says “One of our objectives is to mainstream responsible practices across all RETOSA member states. The African Responsible Tourism Awards not only recognises the efforts of tourism organisations to operate responsibly, it also demonstrates the difference that taking responsibility can make. It can educate and inspire others to be more responsible. Highlighting individual achievements can help SADC achieve theirs.” Thus far there have been no shortages of responsible tourism award winners from SADC. In the three years that the African Responsible Tourism Awards has been running, a whopping 46 awards have been handed to tourism…

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South African tourism holding steady

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Recent reports that Cape Town, a popular tourist destination in South Africa, will soon run out of water due to a prolonged drought hardly seem to be slowing down the country’s burgeoning tourism industry.

This despite warnings by water resources management experts that soon, Cape Town could be the first major city worldwide to run out of water.

South African Tourism, the country’s national tourism marketing body, asserts optimistically that the current water crisis may actually help position the country as a global leader in sustainable tourism practices, including the judicious use of water.

Even as residents adjust to water rationing, with its two-minute showers and scanty baths, the consequences of water scarcity, Mr. Sisa Ntshona, the chief executive officer of SA Tourism, insists that “Cape Town and its many attractions and hotels remain very much open for business. The difference is that people need to be more frugal with water usage, which is the new normal in the industry.”

According to Mr. Ntshona, reports of tourists cancelling trips to Cape Town due to the water crisis are mostly anecdotal, given the lack of corroborating official data. He says, “We do understand travelers’ concerns; we hope that any unwarranted fears subside.”

Unwarranted fears?

Cape Town is a global leader in business tourism, according to ratings published by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), an agency that promotes responsible and sustainable tourism.

According to Statistics South Africa, a national statistical service, Cape Town is Africa’s foremost tourist destination, with some 3.5 million people passing through its entry ports in August 2017 alone.

The South African tourism sector supports about 716,000 jobs, which is about 4.6% of the country’s total employment, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a global forum for the travel and tourism industry. Including jobs in related industries, that figure jumps to 2.5 million. Yet SA Tourism hopes the sector can generate an extra 225,000 jobs by 2030. The sector attracts foreign direct investment and at the same time supports small businesses.

In 2016, more than 10 million international tourists visited South Africa, injecting some R402.2 billion ($27.3 billion) into the economy. Although 2017 figures have yet to be announced, WTTC had predicted a 2.5% increase.

Bright future

The WTTC has also predicted a 4.2% (or $42.4 billion) annual increase in tourism receipts for South Africa until 2027, which Mr. Ntshona believes is achievable. “We are one year into our strategic goal of attracting five million more tourists by 2021 four million international and one million domestic or business or holiday trips,” he enthuses.

He adds, “It’s a huge task that requires us to develop a framework that injects substantially more tourism revenue into the economy, while simultaneously providing a platform to create sustainable jobs.”

Besides directly contributing to the economy, tourism in South Africa also drives inclusive economic growth and provides the necessary incentive for the government’s transformation programmes.

Key transformation initiatives include Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, a programme to enhance black Africans’ participation in the economy, and the National Development Plan 2030, a blueprint for eliminating poverty and reducing inequality. Both interventions address entrenched inequalities caused by the apartheid regime that ended 20 years ago.

“Most of our informal small enterprises are black owned, generating much-needed income for their owners and their families, and contributing to the tax base. They are vitally important to our economy,” explains Mr. Ntshona. “They are often drivers of innovation, with entrepreneurs identifying a need or gap and developing new, previously unexplored sectors of the economy.”

Targeting the Middle East

While Cape Town is still a significant tourism destination for the US market and for the African traveler, Mr. Ntshona told the American trade publication Travel Weekly that SA Tourism is also setting its eyes on visitors from the lucrative Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

In mid-2017, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, visited South Africa to explore with SA Tourism officials mutually beneficial opportunities for the two regions.

Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud, who met with South Africa’s then minister of tourism, Tokozile Xasa, stressed the need to “foster intraregional tourism…and pool our resources”

Within the continent, South Africa is collaborating with the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) to boost the region’s share of global tourist arrivals within the next decade, from its current 2% to 5%. RETOSA was created by the Southern African Development Community, a regional economic grouping, to develop tourism and regional destination marketing among its 15 member states.

“We aim to achieve this [5% share of global tourism] through smart partnerships with private players and RETOSA, and by taking innovative and pragmatic approaches,” says Mr. Ntshona.

Easing visa processing

But the tourism industry in South Africa is not without its challenges. The country is easing out of a controversial visa policy with onerous document requirements. It announced that starting in October 2015, proof of original birth certificates will be required only during the process of application for children entering from abroad.

Crime is a worrying factor, according to a 2017 report by the Urban Safety Reference Group working with the South Africa Cities Network and the Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention Program. Their study found Cape Town to have “unacceptable levels of serious crimes despite the lowest level of poverty (as measured by the Human Development Index), the lowest income inequality, and the second lowest youth unemployment rate.”

Travel agencies however are firmly upbeat, believing that the industry is resilient enough to withstand such shocks, and they are enthusiastically welcoming efforts to tap into domestic and regional markets.

Daniel Joaquim de Nobrega, corporate general manager at TBA Corporate (formerly known as XL Travel by Arrangement), a Johannesburg-based travel service company, says that at the moment there is neither an uptick in leisure travel nor a decline.

Mr. de Nobrega ascribes the standstill to the fact that people are becoming more travel savvy. “They are researching more and weighing options such as local versus international travel.”

He reports marginal increases in corporate travels but adds that some companies now prefer to organise conferences locally while limiting the number of staff they send on trips to faraway destinations.

On the way forward, Mr. de Nobrega stresses the need to rebrand South Africa as much more than a safari destination, and urges more city packages that show just “how eclectic and different our cities are.”

Tourists visiting South Africa are often willing to include stops in neighbouring countries such as Mozambique and Zimbabwe as part of a package, says Mr. de Nobrega, adding that SA Tourism should continue to promote the country’s unique attractions.

“Tourism is part of our country’s DNA,” concurs Mr. Ntshona.     

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RETOSA reworks strategy to enhance tourism in SADC

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Back from left to right: Martin Kennedy (Communications Officer of Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association) and Paul Matamisa (CEO of the private sector Zimbabwe Tourism Council)"> Front from left to right: Desmond Khalid Golding (CEO of RETOSA), Sem Shikongo (Chairman of RETOSA), Digu // Naobeb (CEO of Namibia Tourism Board).

Middle from left to right: Vasco Manhica, (Chairman of the private sector association in Mozambique), Sisa Ntshona (CEO of South African Tourism), Albino Mahumana (CEO Mozambique Tourism Authority), Dr Kaseke (CEO of Zimbabwe Tourism Authority)

Following a comprehensive transformation process of the 20-year old organisation, RETOSA has been rekindled into a new organisation, with a new value proposition for its key stakeholders, and a new vision which will be achieved through focused marketing and strategic investment. A new management team, led by Desmond Golding as CEO, started in June 2017 and has been instrumental in today’s turning-point event which saw both the public sector and private sector stakeholders contribute to a sustainable, action-driven and results-orientated strategy, which will focus on value adding to its partners’ bottom line and enhance the region as the destination of choice.

According to Dr Sem Shikongo, chairman of RETOSA and director of Tourism and Gaming, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Namibia, “After a long adventure of reflection, analysis and critical re-thinking, RETOSA is now emerging as a transformed agency with a new mandate and two key objectives: to increase competitiveness of the region and, increased and improved global tourism market share for the region. This must be achieved through a smart partnership between the Region’s private sector players and RETOSA in a game-changing manner through innovation and pragmatism. At the same time, the Region’s tourism ministries have committed themselves to creating the enabling policy and legislative environment through the tourism coordination unit to be housed at the SADC Secretariat, a critical development. The road is clear …. Tourism is everyone’s business"

Tourism remains a priority sector of many of the SADC countries’ economies.

Championing regional collaboration to drive tourism growth

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, in 2015, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.6% to reach more than one billion, generating $1.5 trillion in export earnings. Forecasts see continued tourism growth in the region of 4% year-on-year, and that foreign tourists will total 1.8b by 2030. The new RETOSA is tasked with taking advantage of this opportunity to increase tourism in the region in partnership with the private sector."

Paul Matamisa, CEO of the Zimbabwe Tourism Council indicated that"Today was a good positive beginning for the good future of Southern Africa where RETOSA has to engage all stakeholders and hope they bring all to the party, especially the private sector institutions."

"By championing regional collaboration, RETOSA must drive intra-Africa tourism because a robust domestic and regional tourism sector is essential to a thriving tourism economy in Africa," said the CEO of South African Tourism, Sisa Nthshona.

Vasco Manhica, chairman of the private sector association in Mozambique said: “From our perspective, we need RETOSA to add value to tourism in the region. Our expectation is that RETOSA will be the champion advocate for tourism integration for the benefit of the region."

Martin Kennedy, communications officer of SHTA (Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association) summarised deliberations as follows: "Potentially an important step towards reducing the credibility gap between words and actions. There was evidence of diverse and creative thinking with a focus on real and pressing industry scenarios."

The CEO of RETOSA, Desmond Golding pointed out that: "The presence of very senior representatives from the private sector from the various countries today truly marks a turning point for RETOSA, and we are particularly encouraged by their contribution towards the development of our strategy. We are confident that we have taken the points they made and have reflected in our strategy, which will enhance the new partnerships, that RETOSA needs to build with the private sector. We will, of course, secure further engagement with the wider private sector representatives from the various Member States to further entrench their support, participation and commitment to the new RETOSA."

Working strategically

For example, the Trans-Frontier and cross-border products with multinational benefits remain strategic with high impact. RETOSA will work strategically to complement the tourism marketing work currently being implemented by the different countries and not duplicate."

The fundamental anchor for RETOSA’s vision is an understanding that tourism is an economic and trade imperative. RETOSA sees tourism and its relations to economic growth, employment creation and poverty elimination fundamentally interlinked to stimulation of investment and commerce.

The recently-appointed RETOSA executive management include:

Desmond Khalid Golding , chief executive officer, commands transversal skills in economics, finance, banking, commerce, investment and tourism. He was the director general/permanent secretary for the KwaZulu Natal’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism; director: credit and risk governance at Standard Bank; group credit officer at Investec Bank Limited, and senior manager: strategic management at the SA Reserve Bank (Governor’s Office).

Golding has served in various boards including SA Broadcasting Corporation, Ithala Development Finance Corporation, Ithala Bank, as well as Chairing the South African Civil Aviation Authority, and the Corporation Bank Development Agency. He has read for Masters of Law (Banking and Finance) from University of London, Master of International Relations (Wits University), Finance for Senior Executives (Harvard University), and Advanced Leadership and Management Programme (Oxford University). Golding is a Mandela Scholar – having been awarded the prestigious Nelson Mandela Leadership Scholarship, and has been Indicted at Oxford Said Business School for having participated and won the Great Oxford Debate.

Thembi Kunene-Msimang , executive: marketing and communications, a communications graduate from the University of Fort-Hare, has over 18 years experience in the tourism sector. Prior to her current position at RETOSA, Kunene-Msimang was responsible for tourism services at Cape Town Tourism. Before that, she was the chief quality assurance officer for the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) and member of Exco at South African Tourism (SAT). She currently serves on the Boards of Stenden South Africa, Gilt-Edge Khula, as well as Brand South Africa.

Kenneth Racombo , executive: resource mobilisation, was previously the director general at the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Seychelles. Racombo has a Masters Degree in Diplomatic Studies with the University of Pretoria, a Masters Degree in Leadership and Strategic Management with the Institute of Public Administration in Ireland and a Degree in Economics with the University of Mauritius. Racombo’s career has been primarily focussed in Economic Diplomacy and regional intergration.

Simba Madinyanye , executive: research and information management, has more than 20 years experience in the tourism sector. An expert in research, planning and sustainable tourism development, capacity building and product development. Madinyanye holds a Bsc Hons Degree in Economics, an MSc in Population Studies and a Masters in Business Administration.

Kevin Kenanao Masupe , executive: corporate services, holds a Masters Degree in Business Leadership coupled with several business management and leadership training. A business management specialist, Masupe has 23 years experience in organisational structuring and startups. Masupe brings a wealth of experience that will assist the new RETOSA to build the new organisation.

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Southern African Development Community Tourism Program approved

The removal of barriers to tourism in africa.

The Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Environment, Natural Resources, and Tourism from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that took place from 21 – 25 October 2019 in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, has approved the SADC Tourism Programme for 2020 – 2030. The Programme was developed by SADC Secretariat in close collaboration with the Member States and is intended to serve as a roadmap to guide and coordinate the development of the sustainable tourism industry in the region and to facilitate the removal of barriers to tourism development and growth.

The SADC Tourism Programme takes cognizance of global and continental tourism programs including the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) Agenda for Africa, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 as well as several SADC initiatives, and frameworks. Additionally, various tourism institutional developments in SADC during the past five years were considered in drafting the Tourism Programme. These include the decisions by the Committee of Tourism Ministers in 2017 to reactivate a Tourism Coordinating Unit in SADC, and by the Council of Ministers in August 2018 to wind up the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). During its August 2018 meeting, Council also approved the inclusion of Ministers Responsible for Tourism in the Joint Committee of Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources and in the Organ of Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, thereby setting the scene for multi-sectoral collaboration in SADC.

“The Vision of the Programme for 2030 is that growth in cross-border, multi-destination travel in SADC will exceed average global tourism growth levels,” said Mr. Domingos Gove, the SADC Director of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Directorate, under which the SADC Tourism Coordination Unit is housed.

Objectives of the Programme include exceeding global growth levels in tourism receipts to and within the region, broadening the spread of regional arrivals and receipts, and effectively increasing the length of stay and return visits by visitors to and within the region, while ultimately fostering an enabling environment for tourism growth and development through the harmonisation of policies.

Against this backdrop, the programme will be implemented in pursuance of five strategic goals which are to: (1) Stimulate visitor movement and flows to and within the region, (2) Improve and defend the tourism reputation and image of the region, (3) Develop tourism in Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), (4) Improve the quality of visitor experiences and satisfaction levels, and (5) Maximise tourism partnerships and collaboration.

Importantly, the Tourism Programme takes cognizance of the need for engagement across multiple sectors due to the cross-cutting nature of the tourism industry. The imperative to strategically engage private sector stakeholders was also acknowledged in the development of the Tourism Programme. These, among other key considerations, will effectively set the stage for collaborative regional engagement that will effectively work towards addressing bottlenecks to regional tourism growth and development with a view to the establishment of an enabling environment for the SADC tourism industry to thrive.

“Tourism is a cornerstone of the SADC economy, together with agriculture, mining and other services,” Domingos Gove said.

“While tourism is a growing and important economic sector for SADC, the region is yet to fully realise its potential to foster inclusive socio-economic growth, support local populations to fight poverty and minimise rural exodus, and to preserve the region’s natural and cultural heritage. We, therefore, look forward to working closely with the Member States and affected stakeholders – inclusive of the tourism private sector – to achieve the goals and objectives set out by the SADC Tourism Programme,” he said.

The African Tourism Board applauded the program .

By Juergen T Steinmetz

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Vietnam real estate tycoon Truong My Lan, sentenced to death in the country's largest-ever financial fraud case, had illegally transferred money abroad, according to police, with state media on Thursday reporting $4.5 billion had been moved.

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