Johannesburg: On Wednesday, 19 April 2023, MEC Motara successfully led the Gauteng Tourism Roadshow in the West Rand. She was accompanied by GTA CEO Sthembiso Dlamini and representatives of government entities that support tourism in the province. The roadshow, which aimed to showcase the West Rand’s leisure tourism experience, was made possible by the sterling collaboration between the Gauteng Tourism Authority, the Cradle of humankind World Heritage Site and various West Rand District tourism stakeholders.
The day kicked off with a gathering of all stakeholders at the home of the Cradle’s cycling community, Bidon Bistro, where the MEC reflected on the importance of supporting cycling, not only as an attractive leisure activity and popular sport in Gauteng, but as a significant income generator for local communities and businesses in the Cradle. She highlighted the Gauteng government’s commitment to supporting the growth of visitor numbers into the province, as the sector aims to return to pre-pandemic volumes.
The MEC was warmly welcomed by representatives of the Cradle led by Mr Gibert Hickman, a member of the Cradle’s GM’s Forum. He indicated that the number of visitors to The Cradle had shown a significant uptick in the past year, and this was great news for local businesses and communities as they recovered from the pandemic lockdowns. He further expressed appreciation for the collaboration and support from the Gauteng government, as this would add significant value to their efforts of promoting The Cradle as a premier leisure experience in Gauteng.
The next stop for the MEC was Munsieville, one of Gauteng’s oldest townships and home to the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, where she joined the local tourism association in completing the painting of one of the oldest churches in Africa that was built in 1917.
The last stop for the MEC was at Tso’s Butchery, a premier township restaurant for visitors looking for a unique township vibe in Kagiso. Tso’s Butchery is one of the tourism businesses that has benefitted from Gauteng township entrepreneurship support and yet another example of the province’s commitment to township economic recovery.
At this venue, the MEC provided an update to stakeholders on Gauteng’s tourism performance as of December 2022. According to SA Tourism, the Gauteng City Region accounts for more than 40% of all the international arrivals into SA. The stats presented by the MEC revealed a massive improvement in Gauteng’s tourism arrivals; most notably, a total of 2.3 million international arrivals, which resulted in revenue of R22.4Billion. In addition, there were 6.5 million domestic visitors into Gauteng, generating revenue of R29.6 billion. Most international visitors were coming from other countries on the African continent, followed by Europe and the United Kingdom. The increase in domestic visitors was partly due to the hugely successful ShotLeft and outdoor adventures campaigns implemented in 2022, aimed at invigorating the domestic sector in the period immediately post Covid lockdowns.
The current performance is a clear sign that Gauteng means business and the province is optimistic that it will achieve its goals of contributing to economic recovery while getting South Africans to explore the many unique tourism experiences in the Golden province.
For more information, visit www.gauteng.net @visitgauteng on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok and I love Gauteng on Facebook and Gauteng Tourism Authority on LinkedIn.
Enquiries: Barba Gaoganediwe, Spokesperson Gauteng Tourism 0834467844
@Barba_G74 on twitter
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