TOURISM MONTH PLAN
1-30 September 2012
1. BACKGROUND
Annually the month of September has been set aside to promote domestic tourism and celebrate the UNWTO World Tourism Day on the 27 September. This period is also meant to celebrate and create awareness on the enormous contribution that the tourism industry makes to the provincial and national economic growth and job creation. The UNWTO believes that the date for World Tourism Day is appropriate because it comes at the end of the high tourist season in the northern hemisphere and the start of the tourist season in the southern hemisphere, when tourism is of contemporary interest to many people worldwide, particularly travellers and those working in the tourism sector.
In South Africa, the hosting of these celebrations traditionally rotate in the less visited provinces with the aim of addressing geographic spread through raising awareness of the hidden treasures in these provinces. Tourism Month is a Government-wide programme led by the National Department of Tourism and coordinated at Provincial Government level. Many tourism enterprises and organizations, as well as government agencies with a special interest in tourism, celebrate the event with various special events and festivities. Mpumalanga Province is therefore classified under the six less visited provinces in terms of the domestic tourism in South Africa. It is in that background that the province of Mpumalanga has been chosen and confirmed by the Minister of Tourism, Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk to host the 2012 World Tourism Month Celebrations.
The 2012 tourism month theme is “Tourism and Sustainable Energy – Powering Sustainable Development”. MTPA as a statutory body responsible for the development and marketing of tourism and preserving the natural environment in the province of Mpumalanga would like to express to all stakeholders (such as the tourism sector, communities, government, and private sector) that as a destination, Mpumalanga will take a lead role in creating awareness of the importance of conservation & education yet expand economic benefits in a more environmentally responsible manner.
2. TOURISM MONTH OBJECTIVES
The overall aim of the Tourism Month celebrations is:
- To remind South Africans to view Mpumalanga as an exciting and affordable holiday destination and get them to travel to the province more often
- To celebrate and generate awareness on the ernomous contribution that the tourism industry makes to the provincial and national economic growth and job creation
- To roll out domestic campaigns aimed at encouraging South Africans to explore their own country.
- To showcase the less visited sections within the province
